Despite finishing third on the team in targets in 2025, Evan Engram's first year with the Denver Broncos has mostly been considered a whiff.
And the tough part about it is, it really wasn't Engram's fault.
Despite all of the pomp and circumstance after he signed in free agency, Engram played just 42 percent of the Broncos' offensive snaps (458), the lowest snap count of his NFL career. And despite finishing third on the team in total targets, Engram had the highest drop percentage of his NFL career so far (10.5 percent).
It's almost a wonder the Broncos stuck with their investment in Engram, even considering he already had $5 million in guaranteed salary for the 2026 season. The only solution -- for both the Broncos and for Engram -- was to find a way forward. And it might have only been one preseason game, but Engram's performance against the Falcons indicated a complete change of direction from what we saw last season. The Broncos might have actually unlocked his potential in the offense.
Evan Engram was the quiet winner of Broncos' preseason opener vs. Falcons
Considering how big of a factor Davis Webb was in the Broncos' initial pursuit of Evan Engram (they were teammates on the New York Giants, once upon a time), the shift of Webb taking over as the offensive coordinator and play-caller this year seemed to be great news for Engram.
But the proof was always going to be in the on-field product.
It wasn't simply more Evan Engram, but how the Broncos could get more of Engram while also having it make sense for the structure of the offense. That likely always meant that Engram was going to have to do more in-line work, because this is a team that basically lives in 11 personnel (11th in the NFL last season).
Against the Falcons, we saw three big plays from Engram where he was playing an in-line role, or at least wasn't split out as a big slot.
The first play was a drive starter on 1st-and-15 against Cover 2 from the Falcons. Engram sprinted up the seam from his in-line alignment, making a huge play to beat zone coverage on a nice throw from Davis Webb. It looked like pitch-and-catch during the game, but it was honestly something we just didn't see a lot of from Engram last season, simply because the Broncos didn't use him in that way.
The second big play was the 13-yard run by Jonah Coleman, which everyone in Broncos Country has been absolutely gushing over since it happened. Of course, the run by Coleman was impressive, but it's important to make note of what Engram does as an in-line blocker on the play, not only sealing off his defender, but showing a level of physicality and leverage that makes you believe he can sustain that level of play as a true TE1 for this team.
The third big play from Engram was on a 9-yard run from Coleman later on. Engram comes across the formation and springs Coleman's run once again, this time sealing off a defender and paving the way for a huge gain.
This is the type of work we simply didn't see Engram getting last season, and it could lead to a lot more 12 personnel (1 RB, 2 TE) from the Broncos in 2026. It could also simply mean that Engram's spot on the initial depth chart -- as the TE1 over Adam Trautman -- is just going to be the new normal under Davis Webb. It was Trautman who significantly out-snapped Engram last season.
The Broncos unlocking Engram in their offense would be absolutely massive. All of the talk last season was about him being Sean Payton's "Joker", and the frustration over not seeing that vision come to fruition has soured almost everyone in Broncos Country to the point that the term "Joker" is right up there with "Let's Ride" these days.
Engram's work as a receiver is historically proven. But if he's giving this type of effort and getting these types of results as a blocker?
The Broncos might have done more than just fix the problem with Engram.
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