Evan Engram Clears Concussion Protocol Ahead of Week 1 vs. Jaguars

New York Giants head coach Pat Shurmur said Wednesday that tight end Evan Engram cleared concussion protocol, according to Bob Glauber of Newsday.

Engram was concussed in the Giants' third preseason game against the New York Jets, but he will be eligible to play in Week 1 of the regular season when the G-Men host the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday.

Engram is coming off a productive rookie season that saw him register 64 receptions for 722 yards and six touchdowns.

He was quarterback Eli Manning's favorite target for much of the campaign since wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. went down with a broken ankle in Week 5.

Beckham is now back in the fold, and the Giants figure to have a much better running game spearheaded by No. 2 overall pick Saquon Barkley.

The return and addition of so much talent on offense could conceivably lead to a dip in production for the former Ole Miss standout.

At the same time, with opposing defenses likely focusing on Beckham and Barkley, there should be lots of single coverage for the likes of Engram and wideout Sterling Shepard.

If the Giants take a cautious approach with Engram by sitting him in Week 1 or using him sparingly, the options at tight end will be limited, with Rhett Ellison and Scott Simonson as the primary backups.

Neither Ellison nor Simonson are major factors as pass-catchers, meaning more work would be in store for receivers such as Beckham, Shepard, Cody Latimer and Russell Shepard.