The Denver Broncos had nearly everything working for them during the 2025 NFL Season, but even the best teams in the NFL struggle here and there. We did see this with the team at times in 2025. The run game unfortunately took a nosedive when J.K. Dobbins went down, and the pass-catchers simply struggled with drops and separation.
The defense felt soft at times, especially when the playoffs rolled around, but overall, the Broncos did emerge as a top-3 team in football last year, despite the inconsistencies in a few spots. The team could remain in that tier in 2026, and with Jaylen Waddle added to the mix on offense, that unit could figure itself out.
But Waddle isn't the only player to keep an eye out for on this side of the ball, as this polarizing weapon didn't exactly perform as well as many had hoped in 2025, but he did just get some much-needed fuel that could spark a bounceback campaign in 2026.
Denver Broncos TE Evan Engram named the most overpaid tight end in the league
Moe Moton identified Evan Engram as the most overpaid player at the tight end position for 2026:
"Evan Engram hasn't aged well as a pass-catching tight end over the previous two years. After recording 114 receptions for 963 yards and four touchdowns in his 2023 Pro Bowl season, he saw a notable drop-off in production. In 2024 and 2025, Engram finished with fewer than 51 catches and 462 receiving yards with only one touchdown in both campaigns.
Troy Renck of the Denver Post believes wide receiver Jaylen Waddle's speed on the perimeter could open up the field for Engram on short-to-intermediate routes.
On the other hand, the Broncos have a crowded wide receiver group with Courtland Sutton, Troy Franklin, Marvin Mims Jr. and 2025 third-rounder Pat Bryant in the mix. Consequently, Engram may not see many targets in the passing attack.
Entering his age-32 season, Engram will likely play in a limited role similar to his first year in Denver, which would make him arguably the most overpaid tight end at his salary."
Engram's deal is worth $11.5 million per year, which is the 10th-highest on a per-year basis, so Engram is getting a pretty dollar. The deal contains $16.5 million in guarantees, which ranks as the 15th-most at the position. In 2025, however, Engram only tallied 50 receptions for 461 yards. His yardage total ranked just 25th at the position, and his 50 receptions ranked 18th. Engram was, roughly, a top-20 tight end last year in terms of production, but is getting top-10 money.
That does lend itself to Engram being overpaid, but that also does not mean he will carry that label throughout 2026. The Broncos signed him last offseason to fill a very specific role as a pass-catcher, so they simply have to get him the ball more this coming season.
You might roll your eyes at that comment and say that it isn't that easy, but what if it is? Engram played just 458 offensive snaps in 2025, which was just 42 percent, the lowest percentage of his career. Despite playing in just nine games the prior season, Engram tallied 363 snaps, which was 72 percent of what he could have played in.
On a raw snap count basis, Engram played in the third-fewest of his career, but the two years lower than 2025, he played in eight and nine games. Engram simply was not on the field nearly enough in 2025 to have a sizeable impact.
This is where offensive coordinator Davis Webb calling the plays can really come in handy, as Engram and Webb already had a prior relationship dating back to their New York Giants days, and Engram's receiving skill set is, logically, something the Broncos need to unlock more in 2026.
With a change in the play-calling situation, there is a realistic chance that Engram does see an uptick in production.
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