Zach Evans 2023 NFL Draft profile: Scout report for the Ole Miss RB
Zach Evans, 5’11”, 200 pounds.
The number one overall recruit in the state of Texas, Zach Evans, had one of the weirdest enrollment periods I can remember. He pushed his announcement back several weeks before ultimately ending up at TCU as their first-ever five-star recruit.
Evans was on track for a big 2021 season with 648 yards through six games before getting shut down with a toe injury. He decided to transfer to the SEC and join Ole Miss, where he turned 156 touches into 1,055 yards and ten touchdowns.
Zach Evans scout report: Strengths
+ Just watching the way he can move on the field, you understand why was once looked at as the number one overall player in the country.
+ Has that instant acceleration and does not shy away at all from crashing through narrow creases at full force for tough yardage.
+ This guy always seems to be going 100 miles per hour. He has tremendous explosion through the hole and can tightly navigate around blockers with ridiculous curvilinear movement, as well as pull his legs through the reach of tacklers.
+ You’ll see him run over defensive ends at the line of scrimmage and drive the pile forward in short-yardage/goal-line situations better than most backs at 220-230 pounds.
+ The way he can cut on a dime, slide inside of pursuing defenders and then the quick acceleration to beat guys to a spot is crazy.
+ In some instances, where you see him completely stop his momentum and redirect, you feel like this guy has ankles of steel, plus then he gets back to full speed so rapidly that defenders can’t track him.
+ You see the burst to get around the corner consistently, and as safeties feel like they have the outside leverage working up the alley, he often times makes them wrong by beating them to the sideline. That’s why Ole Miss tossed him the ball multiple times ever game.
+ For as naturally talented as he is, Evans’ ability to recognize penetration, hug blockers and stay true to the run design is beyond what you’d expect from a somebody with less than 300 collegiate carries.
+ Offers legit home-run speed to blow through the second level and then give the safety a little head-nod, before forcing that guy to flip his head and chase after him.
+ I certainly wouldn’t call Evans a power back, but with how he torpedoes downhill, he can pull through wraps and consistently twists himself forward if he’s built up momentum for a couple of extra yards.
+ Displays insane contact balance, to bang off bodies and somehow stay on his feet.
+ There are some ridiculous touches on tape, where he’s stumbling and you think he has to go down, but he touches the ground, re-gains control and keeps running. Plus, he consistently pulls himself forward when possible to end his runs
+ Will get you those tough yards by consistently pulling his knees up through contact and packing a beautiful spin move to work off contact.
+ Uses the inside arm very well to swipe down as defenders try to reach out to him by making lateral cuts, to not get slowed down by them, as well as extend and almost push off edge defenders as he tries to work around them.
+ Forced 36 missed tackles and had 17 runs of 15+ yards on just 144 attempts this past season.
+ Catches the ball with ease, whether it’s securing pitches or catching the ball on swing routes without ever slowing down.
+ You can really take advantage of Evans’ explosiveness in the screen game, with the way he can hide behind his linemen momentarily before hitting the jets and outracing defenders to certain spots.
+ Plus, once he gets to the open field, when kicked into gear, he can cross the bend his path and cross the field, to kill multiple pursuit angles on one play.
+ Working across the formation as a personal protector, you see some impressive reps from Evans, where he cuts through the legs of the free rusher and brings him to the turf.
Zach Evans scout report: Weaknesses
– Still needs work on a lot of the finer details of the game, you see Evans overrun plays and not display the patience to set them up conceptually, allowing defenders to work over blocks because he doesn’t press holes and doesn't alter his tempo.
– Relies so heavily on his speed and certainly won’t be able to just run around people as frequently at the pro level.
– Freshman Quinshon Judkins took on more of the carries for Ole Miss (289 vs. 156 touches) and handled the third-down role more regularly for the team.
– We basically have no evidence of Evans “winning” as a route-runner, with one touchdown on a wide-open wheel route off a gadget play and otherwise mostly swing routes. With how many RPOs the Rebels ran, we have very little tape of him as a pass-protector in true dropback sets.
– Fumbled five times on just 320 career touches, due to swinging the arm that holds the ball too far away from his body.
Zach Evans scout report: Grade
In a running back class that to me has a pretty clear top-three (in defined order) and a bunch of names in that next tier (where it heavily depends on which flavor you’re looking for), I think Zach Evans stands above the rest.
Other than Bijan Robinson, he’s about as talented as anybody in the position, with things you simply can’t teach. The violence and contact balance he runs with are pretty insane, launching himself through tacklers from all directions unlike really any backs around the 200-pound mark.
Ball-security and exact deployment in the pass game are question marks, but Zach Evans is instant electricity when he touches the ball and he’s a more mature decision-maker inside the trenches than he gets credit for.
Grade: Second round.
You might also like other 2023 NFL Draft Scouting Reports - Zach Charbonnet, RB, UCLA, Bijan Robinson, RB, Texas, Jahmyr Gibbs, RB, Alabama.
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