The Giants are listing Engram second on their depth chart at tight end behind Rhett Ellison heading into the season opener against the Cowboys, Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com reports.
Ellison, a six-year veteran, is the more accomplished blocker of the two tight ends, so it's conceivable that he'll end up seeing the bulk of the early-down reps and cede work on passing downs to Engram, a first-round pick whose speed and hands stack up favorably with most wide receivers. Until Engram proves his worth as a blocker, his snap counts could be restricted a bit, but the Giants are confident that he'll eventually emerge as the team's starting tight end. Even in a backup role, it's quite likely Engram will outproduce Ellison from a fantasy standpoint, as Ellison has never caught more than 19 passes or more than one touchdown in any of his previous five NFL seasons.