Engram ready to shoulder the load

“Adversity” and “opportunity.”

Those were the two primary words rookie tight end Evan Engram used to describe the situation in which he now finds himself.

On Sunday, when the Giants take the field in Denver, Engram will line up alongside several new faces.

Wide receivers Odell Beckham Jr., Brandon Marshall and Dwayne Harris all underwent season-ending surgery this week, and Sterling Shepard was ruled out Friday with an ankle injury.

So of the starting corps, only Engram remains.

The Mississippi product, who was the 23rd-overall pick in the 2017 draft, currently is third on the team in total receiving yards (200) and second in targets (34). He has shown flashes of elite talent, like when he streaked down the middle of the field and leaped for an 18yard touchdown grab in Week 2 against the Lions.

“Evan has done a lot of good things for us this year,” offensive coordinator Mike Sullivan said. “He’s a hard worker. He’s very smart.”

But with just five games under his belt, the 23-year-old suddenly looks like the biggest weapon on that side of the ball as the G-men enter a primetime game against the No. 1 defense in the NFL.

However unfair and unexpected, he will be counted on to take his game to another level.

“Everybody in the skill positions, especially in that wide receiver room, their significance is kind of amplified,” Engram said.

Coach Ben McAdoo did not provide specifics on how the team will use Engram but said it will continue to move him to different spots on the field.

“We’ll see what he can handle,” McAdoo said. “He practiced well and he’s going to have opportunities in games to get his hands on some footballs and to block, to play special teams, and that won’t change.”