Can Evan Engram Break Jimmy Smith’s Long-Held Jaguars’ Receptions Record?

It’s often said that a good tight end is a young quarterback’s best friend. For Trevor Lawrence and Evan Engram, it couldn't be more true.

In the 2022 offseason, Jaguars’ General Manager Trent Baalke made acquiring targets for Lawrence a priority. In free agency, he signed Christian Kirk to a hefty deal and added Zay Jones as well. Baalke introduced one more key piece to the Jacksonville offense, Evan Engram.

Engram signed a one year, “prove it” deal with hopes to rekindle his past successes with the New York Giants and Ole Miss. His physical traits have always been present as the former rebel scored a 9.07 RAS out of college. It has been his consistency, confidence and drops that have tormented parts of his career.

Engram had a sensational first season with the team, setting franchise marks in both receptions (73) and yards (766) for a Jaguars’ tight end. This season, Engram has set his sights on an even higher achievement, the franchise’s single-season receptions record.

The record was set back in 1999 by Jaguars’ legend Jimmy Smith, a season that would end just one game shy of the team’s first Super Bowl appearance. That year, the Pride of the Jaguars’ member caught 116 balls for 1,636 yards and six touchdowns. It remains arguably the greatest season by any Jaguar receiver. While Engram won’t touch Smith’s yardage mark, he certainly could challenge his record 116 receptions.

Engram, though 14 weeks, has reeled in 84 balls for 701 yards and three scores. Notably all three scores have come within the last two weeks. We are here to talk about his receptions though. The tight end has been Lawrence’s favorite receiver all season, receiving 23% of his targets.

Engram makes the most of those targets as well. Engram has caught a wild 84% of his targets and is one of the league’s best after the catch for his position. His 408 yards after the catch rank second among tight ends, behind only David Njoku of the Cleveland Browns.

Press Taylor recently discussed Engram’s impact, “Yeah, he’s done a great job of making the most of his opportunities. Part of it is the coverage, the matchup, the way things dictate. He’s certainly somebody that has produced with the opportunities given to him, he’s somebody that we can all trust and count on. The quarterbacks have a lot of familiarity with where he’s going to be, where he’s going to be there, and trust what we’ve asked them to do.”

With Christian Kirk’s recent core injury that has kept him out for the better part of the last two games, Engram has needed to step up, and oh has he. In the last two weeks alone, Engram has 20 receptions, 177 yards and three scores. Kirk, now placed on the injury reserve, likely won't return this season. It seems the team will look to Engram to shoulder more of the load to close out the remainder of the season.

Engram is currently on pace for 110 receptions, which would land him 3rd on the Jaguars’ single-season receptions list. Only Jimmy Smith has ever caught more balls in a single season, the aforementioned 116 in 1999 and 112 back in 2001.

If Engram can take that next step and carry over the success from the last two weeks into the next four, he has a real shot to shatter the 24-year-long record. He’ll need to average 8.25 receptions a game in order to accomplish that feat. Regardless, it will be the greatest season ever for a Jacksonville tight end and that’s something remarkable in its own right.