2018 NFL Draft: Rashaan Evans is a project worth the investment
Rashaan Evans is the next in a long line of impressive NFL linebackers from Alabama. Where will he land in the 2018 NFL Draft?
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In his final two seasons in Tuscaloosa, Rashaan Evans was a tackling machine for the Crimson Tide. He accumulated 126 total tackles, 17.5 tackles for loss and 10 sacks in his junior and senior campaigns combined.
Evans first came onto the national scene in the 2016 National Championship Game, recording two sacks on Deshaun Watson in Alabama’s win over Clemson. Since then he has shown immense growth at inside linebacker and looks to continue that trend in the NFL.
Strengths
Evans is the perfect model of what all scouts and general managers are looking for at linebacker in today’s NFL. He is fast with good length. He is quick to diagnose plays and has picked up on the traits of being an inside linebacker, such as avoiding linemen working up to the second level.
Evans is a sure tackler. His explosiveness coming on blitzes is also very impressive and catches some off-guard.
Weaknesses
Evans is still relatively new to playing inside linebacker and is still learning the traits that come along with it. Evans also needs to improve on shedding blocks from linemen who reach the second level as he can not dance around NFL caliber linemen. His durability also comes into question as he was hampered by a groin injury for much of his senior season.
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Draft Expectation
Evans might very well have the most upside of any linebacker in this 2018 draft class. He is a very raw talent and if put in the right scheme, can become a nightmare for offensive coordinators by the time he is in his second or third season. His most ideal scheme would be as an inside linebacker in a 3-4 defense, similar to Alabama’s, but could also be a serviceable WILL linebacker in a 4-3 scheme.