Evan Engram didn’t know what to think, but he couldn’t stop his mind from working overtime.

Inside the Giants locker room, as Halloween approached, veteran Janoris Jenkins took an all-business approach to rampant trade rumors, while co-captain Landon Collins wore his hurt on his face.

Defensive starters Damon Harrison and Eli Apple already were shipped out and almost no one was safe — certainly not an injury-plagued tight end drafted by the previous general manager.

“To be honest, it was a really, really dark time around here, a dark time with me," Engram told NJ Advance Media. “I was coming off an injury and I had a couple bad games. In this business, when things aren’t going the right way, changes are made.”

After a promising rookie season, Engram’s 2018 preseason was cut short by a concussion. Then came a sprained MCL that cost him three-plus games, and a slow return to form including a fourth-down drop that could’ve turned the tide of a listless loss to the Washington Redskins, sending the Giants to 1-7 just before their bye week and the NFL trade deadline.

“It was tough," Engram said. "We had that bad game going into the bye week and there was all that uncertainty. It was something I had to battle, knowing it was out of my control. If something happened, it would’ve been for a reason. It didn’t for a reason.”

Engram didn’t exactly pack the boxes in his apartment, but he wasn’t deaf to his surroundings, either. The Cincinnati Bengals, among other teams, were in the market for a tight end.

So, how did he come out of his fog?

Well, for starters, the Giants didn’t deal him at the deadline. And his production improved. But mostly?

“I give a lot of credit to my teammates,” Engram said. "Eli was one of the guys who picked me up.”

Yes, that Eli.

More than a pep talk

At the same time he was being grilled about his own possible benching, his uncertain future with the Giants and his legacy, quarterback Eli Manning knew Engram needed more than a pat on the butt and a “Get them next time.” Manning had seen it before with other struggling pass-catchers during his 15-year career.

“You send him a text and keep throwing it to him," Manning told NJ Advance Media. "You say, ‘This is how we are going to get you open.’ Or ‘We are going to get you set up on this linebacker and you’ll destroy this.'

"You pump him up and let him know you have faith. They may lose some confidence in themselves at times, but you want to make sure they know the quarterback still has it, and we’re going to come to you and find ways to get you the ball.”

Wide receiver Sterling Shepard — married and a father — and the single Engram are neighbors, so they hung together at night to talk about everything other than football. Same for the discussion in the lunch room at the team facility.

“Guys that get hurt tend to live in the training room, and you want to get them out of that element, like, ‘Yo, let’s go do this and that,’" Shepard said. "It almost feels like people forget about you because it’s all about your last performance.”

Given a new life with the Giants, Engram eventually capitalized. He returned from a two-game absence due to a hamstring injury just as Odell Beckham went to the sideline with a mysterious quad injury.

All those targets seemed redirected to Engram, who was back at 43 snaps per game after a strange one-game drop to a career-low 17 in Week 11. He made 22 catches over the final four games combined and had at least 75 yards in each.

“I feel like the end of the season really helped him," Shepard said. "That was just what he needed to go into this season for reassurance that I am that guy and I’ve got this under control.”

It also changed the Giants’ internal opinion of Engram.

There was talk in mid-December that Engram was “likely” to be traded in the offseason — even with his improved blocking.

Not only did the Giants hang onto their 2017 first-round pick, they went to extreme protective measures this preseason — Engram played eight total snaps in one game and was given workload management days early in training camp — because they realize his value.

In a Beckham-less offense, Engram is the Giants’ best threat to stretch defenses and open space for running back Saquon Barkley. Manning always has loved the deep seam route to his tight end — even when the target didn’t have Engram’s 4.42-second 40-yard-dash speed.

Or Engram’s ability to make difficult one-hand catches with sheer reflexes and athleticism.

“We’ve really defined how we want to use him as a coaching staff,” coach Pat Shurmur said.

Secret ingredient

Fed up with his nagging injures, Engram decided to feed better.

“I’m staying away from fatty foods and going the lean route, more greens," Engram said. "I’m trying to find good things to eat that I enjoy. That’s the hard thing. I’ve been staying on top of my supplements and things I can control and that help my body, my mind. Small details.”

The most difficult thing to give up on his diet?

“Whenever I see anything fried, it’s like dang!’” Engram said with a big laugh. "The way I feel is the payoff, but when I see the hot sauce and the fries, it’s tough.”

The solution?

“I come up with my own little seasonings," Engram said. "I’ll put lemon pepper on anything — grilled chicken or even a salad. Lemon pepper has been my scapegoat. I add it to everything salt-based.”

If lemon pepper is Engram’s secret ingredient, he might be the Giants'.

Instead of returning to his native Georgia for offseason, the 6-foot-3, 240-pound Engram stayed away from homestyle cooking by staying local. He lifted weights at the Giants facility and worked passing routes at an empty field in North Jersey with running back Wayne Gallman and then-Giants quarterback Kyle Lauletta.

“I always train hard and find things to work on, explosiveness and quick-twitch things," Engram said. "My body has slimmed out a bit, but I’ve kept my muscle.”

Over his first two seasons in the NFL, Engram ranks No. 5 in the NFL in yards per reception (11.92) among the 17 tight ends with at least 100 total catches. He is ahead of Eagles star Zach Ertz, and one peer he trailed (Rob Gronkowski) retired.

“My man is a matchup nightmare," Shepard said. "We always say we need to get him in the receiver room. It’s great to have a tight end who can stick his hand in the dirt and run like a wideout. It creates those mismatches, and that’s something this team needs.”

One way to cover up the Golden Tate four-game suspension is for the Giants to use Engram as more of a receiver and let backups Rhett Ellison, Eric Tomlinson and Garrett Dickerson take on more in-line responsibilities.

The Giants will have a decision to make after the season on Engram: Exercise his fifth-year contract option for 2021 or not. In a turn of events, it seems like a no-brainer to keep Engram now.

“I think guys that everybody outside of the building has high expectations for,” Shurmur said, “they can’t get out of themselves, so to speak. He’s got to be the best Evan he can be and that will be good enough.”

Ryan Dunleavy may be reached at rdunleavy@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @rydunleavy. Find our Giants coverage on Facebook.