The Denver Broncos might be one injury away from being in a brutal situation at one particular position offensively, and everyone can see it coming.
The problem is, the NFL today is a collection of "haves" and "have-nots" at the tight end position, and the Broncos currently fall in the former category. The signing of Evan Engram in the 2025 offseason was one of the most underrated moves to add an offensive weapon by any team in the NFL. The Broncos not only landed Engram, but they convinced him to come to Denver after he also took a visit to Los Angeles and see what the Chargers were offering.
As massive as the addition of Engram was for this Broncos team, the possibility (if not probability) of Engram missing any length of time looms large.
If Engram gets hurt, the Broncos are in a desperate position at tight end.
Broncos can't afford to lose Evan Engram for significant time in 2025
Although he's had a reputation for being "injury prone", Engram actually hadn't missed much time at all from 2020-23. He missed eight games last year with Jacksonville, and was ultimately released ahead of free agency, but his durability hasn't been a problem since early on in his NFL career.
And last season, Engram was dealing with multiple issues that have been completely cleared: A hamstring injury as well as a shoulder injury.
The Broncos' situation behind Engram is well-documented at this point. They got some of the worst production out of any team in the NFL last season at tight end with Lucas Krull leading the group at 19 receptions and Adam Trautman leading the group with 188 receiving yards.
To say the Broncos need what Engram offers would be a massive understatement. The term "missing piece" probably gets thrown around a little too loosely these days, but it's befitting of Engram in regards to what the Broncos' offense has so desperately needed.
Adam Trautman is a consistent, steady veteran at the position, but he's not dynamic in the passing game. Neither is Nate Adkins, though both guys can make their contributions when called upon. The Broncos might be leaning on a couple of wild cards to provide the team with some sort of upside behind Engram this coming season, but that's all they are at this point.
Those wild card options are Lucas Krull and rookie 7th-round pick Caleb Lohner. The Broncos did get 19 catches out of Krull last year, but we saw very few opportunities for him to make plays after the catch or in contested catch situations where his size can be an advantage. Perhaps Engram's arrival can help more clearly define Krull's role in the offense as well, and he can truly shine.
The vision for Caleb Lohner is clear. The Broncos believe the former basketball player has the upside of a dynamic weapon in the passing game at the next level, but how quickly can he realize his potential? Lohner is going to get a shot in training camp to prove he belongs at the NFL level.
Any sort of injury at this point to Engram, however, would be devastating. Again, he puts the Broncos among the "haves" instead of the "have-nots" at tight end, but until some of these other guys can put it together, this team doesn't have the type of depth to be able to afford losing the veteran tight end.