RB, Michigan
Height: 5’11”
Weight: 216 lbs
Class: rs-Senior
Evans committed to Michigan as a four-star recruit way back in 2015. His path to the NFL has been more challenging than most. After three years as a featured back in the Wolverines’ offense, Evans was suspended for the entire 2019 season. He returned in 2020, but had just 16 carries through six games. This all makes him one of the more difficult backs to project in this year’s class.
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Strengths
At 5’11” and 216 lbs, Evans has the size you want from an NFL running back. He combines this with good power and some of the best contact balance in the class. He does a good job of running behind his pads and he plays with a low centre of gravity, which makes him difficult to bring down. Evans rarely goes down on first contact and he averaged 0.25 forced missed tackles per attempt throughout his time at Michigan. He does a good job of maximising each carry and 66.8 per cent of his career yardage has come after contact.
Evans isn’t just a power back though, and he is more than capable of making defenders miss in space. He has good change of direction ability and showcases excellent lateral agility to get to the edge for big gains. His explosiveness was on show at Michigan’s pro day and Evans tested in the 93rd percentile or above in the vertical, broad jump, and 3-Cone. His ability to beat defenders in a variety of different ways makes him a particularly difficult runner to scheme against.
Evans also ticks the box in terms of his ability on passing downs. Michigan liked to use him on screens, but he also worked well when flexed out as a receiver. He spent almost a quarter of his career snaps out wide and has experience running a diverse route tree, including swings, wheels, slants, and drags. Whichever team drafts him will be getting a back with the versatile skillset to suit the modern game. Evans possesses soft and reliable hands too, with just two drops on 51 career catchable targets.
Weaknesses
Evans is one of the more risky picks in the 2021 draft and that is a result of his recent sample size. He was a key part of Michigan’s offense from 2016-18, averaging over 100 carries per season. He was then suspended for the entire 2019 season as a result of academic misconduct. On his return in 2020 he barely featured. Evans was the team’s fourth string running back, with just 102 snaps and 16 carries. He will also be one of the oldest running backs in the class, turning 24 in his rookie season.
On the field there are weaknesses to Evans’ game too. Whilst he has good short area quickness, he lacks the long speed you ideally want in a running back. As a result we didn’t see a tonne of breakaway runs from him at Michigan, with just an 8.4 per cent breakaway rate. Whilst not egregious, his issues with fumbles will certainly raise eyebrows, with five on his 320 career carries. Some teams may have concerns about Evans’ ability to function as a lead back, having only exceeded 15 carries in a game on two occasions at Michigan. That said, for a fifth year senior there isn’t a tonne of tread on his tyres.
Bottom Line
Evans is a really intriguing back to project to the next level. He possesses real talent as a runner, and his ability to beat defenses in a variety of ways is a major selling point. He also ranks as one of the best receiving backs in the class and has the potential to be a true three-down back in the NFL. The problem is that we have barely seen him play since 2018. If he can recapture that form he could be one of the better backs in this year’s class, but there is definite risk attached.
Big Board Rank: #95
Positional Rank: #7
