Former Giants Center Shaun O'Hara discusses first round pick Evan Engram:
As a player, Shaun O'Hara always said that rookies should be seen and not heard.
As an analyst, he understands there are some you just have to talk about. And Evan Engram is one of them.
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O'Hara, a former three-time Pro Bowl center and Super Bowl XLII champion for the Giants, recently broke down film on the rookie tight end while appearing on NFL Network. The No. 23 overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft left Ole Miss as the program's all-time leader in receptions (162), receiving yards (2,320) and touchdown catches (15) by a tight end. He was also the first player in school history – keep in mind this is the same place where Eli and Archie Manning played -- to earn All-SEC honors four times.
"When the Giants drafted him, I had to kind of go back and watch film and find out who this kid is, but [the explosive plays] are the types of plays that showed up as soon as you turned on the film," O'Hara said. "He's a tight end, but he runs better than a receiver. So you've got the tight end screens. Now look at him finding space in the defense and a little yards after the catch. Giants fans haven't seen that since Jeremy Shockey. So they're excited. They're going to be watching him in training camp."
After praising Engram's receiving skills, including his ability to climb the ladder in the red zone, O'Hara got down to his area of expertise: blocking.
During OTAs, tight ends coach Kevin M. Gilbride said that Engram showed a "willingness to block and to finish and strain the way we're asking our guys to strain. … I don't see him backing down. He has a toughness and a willingness to go against anyone on our defense."
Of course, that was during non-contact practices in the spring. That all changes at the end of this month when the pads come on at training camp.
"It's all about effort," O'Hara said. "This kid loves to get his hands dirty. He's a hard worker. I was in that building a couple weeks ago, and they're raving about the work ethic and the explosive plays that this young kid has."
