The early verdict on Evan Engram in Denver is not just about catches. It is about whether he can become the kind of tight end the Broncos thought they were getting, one who helps in the passing game without forcing the offense to hide him everywhere else. Through two games, the answer has been encouraging.
Engram has caught five of six targets for 60 yards and a touchdown in the first two games of the 2026 season. That is not a massive volume line, but it is a clean, useful start for a player the Broncos added in the 2025 offseason to lift a tight end group that struggled to make many big plays through the air last season.
Why Sean Payton is encouraged
After practice yesterday, Sean Payton said he was pleased with Engram’s early-season work, and the reason goes beyond receiving numbers. Payton pointed to Engram’s blocking, saying it has helped him earn more reps on the field and more involvement in the run game. That matters because it suggests Denver is not treating him as a situational pass catcher. It is treating him as a complete piece of the offense.
Payton said Engram is doing well, has caught a pass in each game, and is giving the team value in the passing game while also blocking well. He added that Engram has shown something useful in protections and certain assignments, which helps explain why he has stayed involved. When a tight end can stay on the field for multiple jobs, the offense gets harder to read and easier to trust.
That was the hope in the first place. Last season, Engram was not the joker player the team expected him to be, and the Broncos never really got the consistent tight end production they wanted. A player can have talent and still not fit cleanly. Early this season, Engram looks more settled into a role that asks him to contribute without bending the offense around him.
Adkins has added another layer
Nate Adkins has also helped the picture look better. He signed with the Broncos as an undrafted free agent in 2024, and last week he had three receptions on three targets for 32 yards and a touchdown against the Jaguars. That sort of production will not define a season by itself, but it does matter when a team is trying to get more dependable work from the tight end room.
Payton said Adkins does a lot of things well, including playing in the kicking game and blocking in space. That kind of flexibility gives Denver options, and it also supports the larger point about Engram: the Broncos do not need one tight end to do everything, but they do need the group to provide steadier two-way value than it did a year ago.
So the first two games are not proof of a finished answer. But they are a sign that Denver may finally be getting more out of the position. Engram’s numbers are modest, yet the usage is more meaningful than the raw totals. If his blocking continues to keep him on the field, the Broncos may be looking at a tight end who can help the offense in more ways than one.
