Ross' Take On Top Pick

Here’s what New York’s VP of Player Evaluation Marc Ross had to say about Big Blue’s top pick, Evan Engram.

Q: Was he your top tight end on your board?

A: Maybe.

Q: The way you guys viewed him, was it a situation where you walked in this morning and you thought there would be a pretty good chance that Engram would end up being your guy?

A: We talk about a lot of different scenarios, a lot of different players being in position to take at 23 and he was one of those guys.

Q: Very few tight ends combine blocking and receiving, how do you differentiate between guys who are primarily pass catchers at that position? What separates one ahead of another?

A: Well you have to see their skillset, their speed, their hands, their body control, their routes, their feel for the game, so those are the things you look for in a receiving tight end. Evan lines up a bunch of different places; they used him a lot of different ways, so he just seems to have a natural feel as a receiving tight end.

Q: The size and speed of tight ends these days is a lot different from what it used to be, does this go along with what the Giants plan for what the offense will be?

A: You have to ask [Head Coach] Ben [McAdoo] about if he’s a part of the plan, but from a scouting prospective he was a playmaker. He was a versatile playmaker, very athletic guy, clean off the field, and checked all the boxes as far as things we look for in a quality player.

Q: If you look at his numbers, he had a big jump last season. Anything happen?

A: I think they just used him more in the offense. He was a senior, you rarely see seniors anymore, he just grew as a player, he got better, they used him more and I think they both benefited, Ole Miss and Evan.