Following on from Part 1 (Dalvin Cook Vs Joe Mixon) and Part 2 (Chris Godwin Vs JuJu Smith-Schuster) of this new series, in Part 3 we will now be moving to the tight end position and taking a look at two guys who are currently just outside the top tier of TEs but could easily break in over the coming seasons ... Evan Engram (ADP:65 - TE5) Vs Hunter Henry (ADP:77 - TE7)!
Before we get started, here's a recap of each category we will be evaluating each player on...
Round 1 - Prospect - Taking a look at each player as they were entering the NFL.
Round 2 - Career so far - Comparing how each player's career has played out so far.
Round 3 - 2019 Results - Seeing how each player performed in 2019.
Final Round (Double Points) - Offense/Situation/Outlook - Evaluating each player's offense and how they will be involved to see who has the best outlook for 2020 and beyond. Double points as it's the one area, as dynasty owners, we most care about!
The player with the most points out of a possible 5 will be declared the winner!
Right... LET'S GET READY TO RUMBLE!...
FIGHT!!
Evan Engram Vs Hunter Henry
Round 1 - Prospect
Evan Engram
Engram spent 4 seasons with Ole Miss, playing a total of 41 games. Here are his final stats before declaring for the 2017 NFL Draft:
Receiving - 162/2320/15
He was a very athletic prospect when entering the draft. His measurables and percentiles (Vs tight ends) following on from his combine appearance were as follows:
40 Yard Dash - 4.42s - 98%tile
Vertical Jump - 36" - 82%tile
Broad Jump - 125" - 94%tile
3-Cone Drill - 6.92s - 88%tile
Bench Press - 19reps - 41%tile
Evan Engram ended up been drafted by the New York Giants in the 1st round (Pick 23) of the 2017 NFL Draft.
Hunter Henry
Following on from his 3 years spent with the Arkansas Razorbacks, Henry's final college stats:
Receiving - 116/1661/9
At the 2016 NFL Combine, Henry only did the Bench Press but proceeded to do other drills at his Pro Day. His measurables and percentiles are as follows:
40 Yard Dash - 4.68s - 72%tile
Vertical Jump - 31.5" - 32%tile
Broad Jump - 113" - 40%tile
3-Cone Drill - 7.16s - 41%tile
Bench Press - 13reps - 3%tile
Hunter Henry was drafted by the then-named San Diego Chargers in the 2nd Round (Pick 35) of the 2016 NFL Draft.
Conclusion
Stats - Engram had a much more successful college career. He may have played an extra season, but that was only an extra 6 games. Yet he had an extra 659 yards and 6 additional TDs.
Measurables - Engram again dominated in this category, his percentiles were far higher as he was a much more athletic player in comparison to Henry. He dominated all speed and agility drills during his combine workouts.
Draft - Engram was also a 1st round draft pick, whereas Henry, despite been drafted early, was a 2nd round draft pick.
So a clean sweep in this section for Evan Engram!
Current Score - Engram 1 - 0 Henry
Round 2 - Career So Far
Evan Engram
As we all know, it can take 2/3 years for tight ends to have an impact in the fantasy football world... Not Evan Engram! He finished his rookie season as the TE5, with over 700 yards and 6 TDs. Since 2000, only one rookie tight end has ranked higher in yards at the position - former Giant Jeremy Shockey (2002). Only one has put up more fantasy points in his rookie season, none other than arguably one of the greatest TEs ever, Rob Gronkowski (2010).
The hype was building that Engram could be the next great TE following on from that season but injuries have held him back since then. he suffered a concussion, a knee MCL sprain, and a pulled hamstring in the 2018 season. Then another MCL sprain on the same knee and an ankle sprain during the 2019 season. Yet he still managed around 500 yards both those seasons and finished as the TE13 (2018) and TE18 (2019).
Hunter Henry
Like Engram, Hunter Henry had a successful start to his NFL career. While it may not have been on the same level as Engram, Henry still finished the season with just under 500 yards and 8 TDs. He also finished as the 5th highest fantasy point-scoring rookie TE since 2000, all signs were pointing towards Henry been the new elite TE in fantasy. However, again like Engram, injuries have been a big problem for Henry. He missed 2 games in 2017 due to a kidney laceration and then missed the whole 2018 season with an ACL tear in his knee. In 2019, Henry managed to put up the highest yardage total of his career but still missed 4 games due to a knee fracture.
Conclusion
Despite Henry being in the NFL a year longer, the missed season due to the ACL tear means both have played in 3 seasons. Henry has played 7 more games than Engram but Engram has managed to rack up more yards. It's a close one but I'm going to give this round to Engram again after the TE5 finish in his rookie season, showing his elite upside.
Current Score - Engram 2 - 0 Henry
Round 3 - 2019 Season
Evan Engram
2019 ended up been another disappointing season for Engram due to injuries, only managing to play 8 games for the Giants. Let's take a look at some interesting stats for Engram during the 2019 season:
TE18 in PPR leagues despite only playing in 8 games
44 receptions for 467 yards (15th) and 3 TDs (T19th)
Averaged 10.6 yards per catch
Scored a TD on 50% of his RedZone targets (4 receptions for 2 TDs)
Made a hot start to the season with a TE1 finish week 1 plus a TE4 finish and 2 TE10 finishes during the first 5 weeks
Averaged 13.7 fantasy points per game in 2019
Hunter Henry
Despite only managing to play 12 games, Henry managed to put up his best fantasy performance to date. Some of the key stats are as follows:
TE9 finish in PPR leagues
55 receptions for 652 yards (9th) and 5TDs (T7th)
Averaged 11.9 yards per catch
Like Engram, Henry scored a TD on 50% of his RedZone targets (8 receptions for 4 TDs)
6 Top 10 TE finishes including a TE1, a TE5, and two TE6 finishes.
Averaged 12.5 fantasy points per game
Conclusion
Hunter Henry gets his first point on the board thanks to this round, managing to put up the better stats in most categories. Yet both will be disappointed that injuries held them back from putting up high-end TE numbers. They will both be hoping for a fresh start in 2020.
Current Score - Engram 2 - 1 Henry
Final Round!!
Round 4 - Offense/Situation/Outlook
Evan Engram
Evan Engram is currently the starting TE for the New York Giants. The Giants are currently going through a bit of a transition after going 4-12 in 2019 under their last 1st round rookie pick Daniel Jones for most of the season. While Jones struggled with fumbles and showed he was still raw as a prospect, he also showed flashes of brilliance during the season putting together some huge games. The chemistry between Jones and Engram was clear to see straight away with Engram receiving an average of 9 targets a game with Jones before his season-ending injury in week 9.
In 2019, the Giants were a pass-heavy offense, throwing the ball the 8th most in the NFL. Now with new OC Jason Garrett, who is known for his emphasis on vertical routes and made Jason Witten a high-end fantasy TE for years in Dallas, the outlook for Engram looks to be bright.
Jones and Engram can form a solid partnership together for years to come, however, the one big concern with Engram is the injuries. He's yet to complete a full season during his first 3 years in the NFL, but that is the only thing holding the athletic Engram from joining elite fantasy TE status!
Hunter Henry
Henry is currently the starting TE with the LA Chargers after been franchise tagged during the offseason. Similarly to Engram, Henry's team is currently in the middle of change after long time QB Philip Rivers left to join the Colts and they used their 1st round pick to select QB Justin Herbert with the 6th pick in the NFL Draft. Veteran QB Tyrod Taylor is likely to start the 2020 season while Herbert learns the ropes.
One of my main concerns for Henry's 2020 outlook is that he is an offense with a strong defense and uncertainty at QB. I can see the Chargers relying on their defense and then leaning more on running the ball and winding the clock down. Taylor is known for being a QB that likes to check the ball down to his RBs (8th highest % of check-downs over the last 2 season). This could hinder Henry's chances of getting enough volume to be a top TE in 2020, he may end up being more of a TD dependant TE.
Also like Engram, injuries constantly seem to be holding Henry back, can Henry stay healthy this season and provide his QB with a safety blanket in the middle of the field?
Conclusion
Both Engram and Henry have uncertain futures with neither tied to a long term contract, however, Engram is going to be on a much more pass-heavy offense and he already has the chemistry with his QB which means we can feel more confident with him heading into 2020 than Henry.
Finish Him!!
Overall, Engram is the much more involved TE in the passing game with elite athleticism on a team that is likely going to be in shootouts in 2020 with their poor defense. As mentioned before, a healthy Evan Engram can become an elite fantasy TE, pushing the likes of Travis Kelce and George Kittle.
Final Score - Engram 4 - 1 Henry
Thank you for reading this article, hopefully you enjoyed this fun project for me to put together! Be sure to follow me on twitter @MattFFDynasty and give me your feedback on this article and who you would like to see go head to head in future Dynasty ADP Duels!
