It’s hard to imagine anybody would be surprised about a Chicago Bears Evan Engram encounter. Tight end remains one of their biggest roster needs despite the recent addition of Dion Sims in free agency. No current options on their depth chart can be considered serious weapons in the short or long-term. Zach Miller is 33 and coming off another injury. Sims has spent most of his career as a blocker. The rest are unproven youngsters.
Engram would represent a significant step up in the talent department. A potential instant threat in the passing game for new quarterback Mike Glennon to exploit. With so many unknowns at wide receiver, it makes perfect sense they’d want to add more credibility. Or hope at the very least. Hence why they’ve decided to meet with the Ole Miss standout privately.
#Bears will meet with Ole Miss TE Evan Engram at Halas Hall; he lands in Chicago today.
— Patrick Finley (@patrickfinley) April 9, 2017
Chicago Bears Evan Engram buzz must increase
The constant buzz around Engram for the past few months is how striking a resemblance he holds to current Pro Bowl tight end Jordan Reed of the Washington Redskins. Both are slightly undersized but also supremely athletic with speed and the ability to beat almost any coverage in the passing game. They are matchup nightmares who can dominate the middle of the field. Here is what one national scout had to say according to NFL.com analyst Lance Zierlein.
Subscribe to the BFR Youtube channel and ride shotgun with Dave and Ficky as they break down Bears football like nobody else.
“Outside of O.J. Howard, I think (Evan) Engram is the best tight end in this draft for what he is going to offer. He’s just like Jordan Reed. He’s going to get open against everyone they put on him and that guy competes, too.”
It’s quite a compliment indeed. Reed has produced over 1,600 yards and 17 touchdowns over the past two seasons in Washington. It’s a classic case of linebackers being too slow to keep up with him and safeties not being athletic or big enough to body up on him. Never mind his excellent hands and underrated blocking ability. Engram is very similar in all of those ways. Yet that might not be the scariest part.
He might be even faster.
People keep comparing Evan Engram to Jordan Reed. I'm starting to wonder if that's less a compliment than an insult……..to Engram. pic.twitter.com/kCn3zxS3Kh
— Erik Lambert (@ErikLambert1) April 10, 2017
Reality vs. Fiction
Engram sent a loud and clear message to teams everywhere with his blistering 4.42 time in the 40-yard dash at the scouting combine. Please remember this is a guy who is 6’3″, 234 lbs. That is bananas fast for somebody of his size. GM Ryan Pace is all about speed based on his draft picks over the past two years. Engram fits that bill about as perfectly as anybody at any position in this draft.
So where and when will the Bears start looking at him? There is no question that Engram will be in play for the #36 pick early in the second round. It’s possible he might sneak into the top 32 but typically players like him are classic early Day 2 selections. Really good talents who might be missing just one key attribute. For him it’s size and the strength that goes along with it.
Not that he’ll need much of either. He’ll be too busy blowing by defenders to notice much.
