The New York Giants selected Ole Miss tight end Evan Engram with the 23rd overall selection in the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft on Thursday night.

Giants fans dreaming the the team would be able to land tight end O.J. Howard saw their hopes dashed when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers took Howard at No. 19. The Giants also thought to covert offensive tackle Garett Bolles, but he went No. 20 to the Denver Broncos. The Giants also passed on Miami tight end David Njoku, the player many thought would be the second tight end selected.

SB Nation says:

Engram is a big-play receiver who happens to have the size to play tight end. His athleticism will make it difficult for even the league’s fastest linebackers to cover him, and NFL teams have began to focus on creating those mismatches more and more since players like Rob Gronkowski and Jimmy Graham started roasting secondaries this decade.

Here’s even more from SB Nation on the Engram selection.

Engram was my choice for the Giants in my mock draft this week. Here is part of what I wrote when making that pick:

Engram is a guy who is generally ranked just below Njoku in the tight end class. But, at 6’3”, 234 pounds he is part of the new breed, more slot receiver than traditional tight end. His pro comparison is usually Jordan Reed of the Washington Redskins. Who wouldn’t want to add a Jordan Reed clone to the Giants’ offense? Forget about the blocking stuff. That’s what Rhett Ellison and Jerell Adams are for.

In his Engram prospect profile, which was just posted Thursday afternoon, here is what Chris said:

Within his limitations, there are very few negatives to Evan Engram’s game. He doesn’t have the size we’ve come to associate with the tight end position, but he has rare athleticism and will step into the NFL as one of the best athletes for his size in the league. If a team recognizes what they have and doesn’t try to force him into being something he is not (ie: An in-line blocking tight end), and uses him in a manner similar to how Washington uses Jordan Reed, Engram could have an instant impact in the NFL.

What the Giants are saying

McAdoo: "Length, speed, play-maker... We're excited to hit him to the mix and hit the ground running with him." — Tom Rock (@TomRock_Newsday) April 28, 2017

Ben McAdoo on Evan Engram: "The fastest way to the end zone is down the middle of the field." — Paul Schwartz (@NYPost_Schwartz) April 28, 2017

Ross on difference between Engram and Njoku: "(Engram's) versalitly, his hands, route running experience were what we liked about him"-GM — GiantInsider (@GiantInsider) April 28, 2017

Ross: "The way Ole Miss used him, he could line up at 4-5 positions. I would envision we would use him in a similar fashion"-GM — GiantInsider (@GiantInsider) April 28, 2017

Reese thinks Engram's speed down the middle will stress the 2-high safety look they saw so much last season. — Dan Duggan (@DDuggan21) April 28, 2017

Engram’s reaction

"I can't put it into words...New York was at the top. This is an amazing feeling." - Evan Engram — New York Giants (@Giants) April 28, 2017

"I know I'm ready to come in and make an immediate impact. I know for a fact." - Evan Engram — New York Giants (@Giants) April 28, 2017

"Coaches love to move me around to create mismatches....I get excited when I see a big linebacker trying to man me up." - Evan Engram — New York Giants (@Giants) April 28, 2017

Giants Draft Picks

Round 1 (23) — Evan Engram, TE, Ole Miss

Round 2 (55)

Round 3 (87)

Round 4 (140)

Round 5 (167)

Round 6 (207)

Round 7 (241)

Draft TV Schedule

Rounds 2-3

When: Fri., April 28, 7 p.m.

TV Channels: ESPN & NFL Network

Time Per Pick: Seven minutes for the second round, five minutes for the third round

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