Once written off after a frustrating stint with the Giants, Evan Engram found new life in Jacksonville, transforming into one of the league’s top pass-catching tight ends in 2023. But his resurgence wasn’t a fluke—it was a preview. Now, with a fresh two-year, $23 million deal in hand, Engram lands in Denver, where Sean Payton has big plans to unleash his full potential as the offense’s Joker tight end.
Evan Engram’s 2025 fantasy football outlook is a tale of up and downs—one year he’s setting career highs, the next he’s an injured blip on the radar. After racking up 963 yards in 2023, he crashed back to earth last season with just 365 yards, thanks to injuries and a horrid quarterback play. The Jaguars let him walk, but Sean Payton and the Broncos saw an opportunity.
Now in Denver on a fresh two-year deal, Engram has a real shot to rebound as the team’s No. 2 receiving option behind Courtland Sutton. The catch? Payton’s offense loves to spread the wealth and he’s had massive fantasy success with the tight end position, meaning Engram could be in for a massive TE1 season.
So, is Engram primed for a bounce-back season, or will he be just another cog in Payton’s machine? Let’s break down what fantasy managers can expect in 2025.
EVAN ENGRAM 2025 FANTASY OUTLOOK: SEAN PAYTON’S JOKER TE
Payton doesn’t just see Engram as a tight end—he sees a Joker. No, not the kind with a creepy laugh, but the kind that keeps defenses up at night. In Payton’s system, a Joker is a versatile weapon that thrives on mismatches, too fast for linebackers and too big for defensive backs.
Sean Payton has a history of turning Joker tight ends into nightmares for defenses—just ask Jimmy Graham, Jeremy Shockey, and Jason Witten. Safe to say, that’s an elite club for Engram to join.
It’s a role Engram has been training for his whole career, moving all over formations and attacking defenses from every angle. Now, he’ll step into the spotlight in an offense built to maximize his skill set.
With Denver embracing a win-now mentality with Payton and Bo Nix, Engram is primed to be a key chess piece in Payton’s offensive master plan. He’s not looking to be boxed into a traditional tight end role—he wants to be pushed, challenged, and used to his full potential. And if his change of scenery in Jacksonville was any indication, 2025 could be the year he takes his game to an entirely new level.
“They just had a real vision for him,” Engram’s longtime coach Drew Lieberman told The Denver Post. “They were kind of, one of the first teams to contact him. … He just felt like they understood all the different things he could do.”
SUMMARY: A HEALTHY EVAN ENGRAM SHOULD EXPLODE
Prior to the Engram signing, most experts mocked stud rookie tight ends Colston Loveland or Tyler Warren to the Broncos to fill the Joker spot. Now, it could still happen, but I wouldn’t bet on it.
If the Broncos don’t take an early swing at the position, we should expect him to replicate his beastly 143-target season in 2023 or his two other 100-plus-target seasons with the Giants. Now that Payton has his guys to run his system, expect a fantasy TE1 season from Engram—if he stays healthy, of course.
His versatility in Sean Payton’s scheme could unlock another level of production, making him a sneaky value in 2025 drafts.
The Wolf has Engram slotted as TE10 in his latest 2025 Fantasy Rankings, right in the mix with David Njoku, Mark Andrews, and Tucker Kraft. That’s solid company—and if the stars align in Denver, Engram could have a case to climb even higher.
