Throughout his rookie 2024 season, Nix began 17 video games and accomplished 66.3 p.c of his cross makes an attempt for 3,775 yards (6.7 yards per try), 29 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. He helped information the Broncos to their first playoff look since 2015.
“I do know we’re trying to find a ‘Joker,'” common supervisor George Paton advised reporters final month on the 2025 NFL Scouting Mix in Indianapolis, through The Denver Gazette.
As The Denver Gazette’s Chris Tomasson wrote in late February, “To Payton, a ‘Joker’ is normally a good finish or a operating again that additionally has high receiving abilities.”
Engram suits the invoice. His 234 receptions since 2022 are the second-most amongst tight ends, trailing solely four-time All-Professional Travis Kelce. He missed eight video games final season because of damage however had a career-high 114 receptions in 2023.
The 2-time Professional Bowler was the No. 23 total choose of the 2017 NFL Draft by the Giants, the place he performed his first 5 seasons. Including Engram offers Nix a confirmed, dependable goal within the passing recreation.
In 2024, Lukas Krull led the group’s tight ends with 19 receptions, which ranked eighth on the Broncos. Mixed, 4 Broncos tight ends had 51 receptions, 483 receiving yards and 5 receiving touchdowns.
“The operating again and the tight finish may clearly assist in his improvement,” Payton stated on the mix.
“While you choose 20, it’s not as straightforward to say, ‘Hey we’re going to search out that,'” the Tremendous Bowl XLIV-winning coach added.
Payton’s greatest offenses — earlier than Denver, he served as Saints head coach from 2006-21 — have prominently featured tight ends.
From Jeremy Shockey to Jimmy Graham, Benjamin Watson to Jared Cook dinner, New Orleans emphasised the tight finish place underneath Payton.
Graham had essentially the most notable success, averaging 1,099 yards and 11.5 touchdowns per season from 2011-14. Watson had a career-high 825 receiving yards in 2015, his age-35 season.
Shockey was the New Orleans’ main tight finish throughout its Tremendous Bowl run, whereas Cook dinner’s 16 landing receptions from 2019-20 in New Orleans tied with Kelce for the league’s second most amongst tight ends throughout that span, per Stathead.
Payton has missed having a high-caliber tight finish in his first two seasons in Denver, and signing Engram fixes that. His addition could possibly be precisely what Nix and the Broncos offense have to construct off final season’s success.
