Evan Engram is creating buzz about a potential bounce-back year under new offensive coordinator Davis Webb. While local beat writers seriously compare him to a ripe banana, Engram’s career is clearly headed in the wrong direction for fantasy gamers.
Moreover, Jaylen Waddle‘s arrival will create a target volume squeeze on the heels of a lackluster 6.4 fantasy points per game in 2025. Engram is a classic TE value trap. Avoid him in all fantasy football formats, especially dynasty leagues.
2025 7th-round pick Caleb Lohner who spent his entire rookie season on the practice squad, and then impressed in early offseason workouts, will miss significant time with a “lower body procedure” opening a clear path for Justin Joly to earn playing time in Week 1. Mile High Report’s Scotty Payne wrote, “These two weeks will give (Joly and Dallen Bentley) a chance to possibly separate themselves from Lohner before he eventually returns for the start of training camp.”
It gets better. Denver would save $6.47 million if Evan Engram is released with a post-June 1 designation, and long-time NFL hot take artist Jason La Canfora predicts that “Joly will have a role right away” regardless of Engram’s roster status.
For a more grounded view, ESPN’s Field Yates believes Joly will have an instant impact in Sean Payton’s “Joker” role, and The Athletic’s Nick Baumgardner listed Joly as one of his “biggest sleepers” coming out of the NFL draft and wrote, “He’s a bit of a mutant athletically with great vertical speed and enough wiggle to separate at the top of routes. He could be a potential matchup problem in the NFL.”
Bottom line: Joly is a smash at the end of dynasty rookie drafts, especially tight end premium formats.
The Denver Broncos just secured a “move” tight end in Justin Joly at No. 152, a versatile weapon who posted an 18.2 Breakout Age (98th-percentile) with the smooth, wide-receiver-like movement to destroy bracket coverage. Joly earned a 23.5% Target Share (75th-percentile) and a dominant 31 contested catches, proving he can anchor the middle of the field for Sean Payton.
In dynasty formats, Joly can be considered a late 3rd/early 4th round flier that will need some things to fall his way to be fantasy relevant this season.
Oregon tight end Kenyon Sadiq declared for the draft earlier in the week and is considered the top tight end in the 2026 NFL Draft. He’s not the only tight end in the draft though and others will be showcasing their skills throughout the pre-draft process.
Nine of those other tight ends will be putting their skills on display in Mobile Alabama at the 2026 Panini Senior Bowl. Joshua Cuevas (Alabama), John Michael Gyllenborg (Wyoming), Will Kacmarek (Ohio State), Sam Roush (Stanford), Dan Villari (Syracuse), Nate Boerkircher (Texas A&M), Justin Joly (NC State), Tanner Koziol (Houston) and DJ Rogers (TCU) will get the opportunity to make an impression on NFL teams later this month.
Author: David Leonard Jr. (@RealDelcoDave)
