Name: Mike Evans
Position: Wide Receiver
School: Texas A&M
Before Sammy Watkins caught the attention of the scouting community, Mike Evans was the guy many were looking at to be the No. 1 receiver selected in the 2014 NFL draft. After all, how many times did we see him bail Johnny Manziel out for the Aggies last season?
Blessed with a tall frame and physical physique, Evans is one of those receivers that wins at the point of contact against defensive backs. He'll provide a consistently solid receiving threat for the quarterback on third down, moving the chains the vast majority of the time.
Let's look at how Evans might fit in the NFL from a San Francisco 49ers perspective.
How Mike Evans Meets Team Needs
San Francisco has been targeting wide receiver all offseason long. It brought Julian Edelman in for a visit prior to him returning to the New England Patriots. In addition, the likes of Hakeem Nicks and Emmanuel Sanders were linked to the 49ers to them prior to re-signing with their current teams.
Reports now indicate that the 49ers are interested in DeSean Jackson, who the Philadelphia Eagles have put on the trade block. All this points to an interest in San Francisco going after a wide receiver in May, even after it retained Anquan Boldin on a two-year contract earlier in March.
Michael Crabtree is set to become a free agent following this upcoming season and Boldin is currently in the back end of his career. Needless to say, the 49ers need to bring in another young receiver to go along with second-year player Quinton Patton.
Outside of needing a receiver to stretch the field, San Francisco could also use someone to eventually replace Boldin as a go-to possession guy. That's what Evans would bring to the table.
Impact as a Rookie
Crabtree and Boldin can line up all over the field, which is an indication that Evans would see the field as a No. 3 option. He already boasts a NFL-ready frame and can provide a consistent target for Colin Kaepernick in the passing game.
Unfortunately, Evans would be a No. 3 wide receiver on a team that ran the least amoung of three-wide sets last season. He simply wouldn't see the field enough to make a huge impact unless there were an injury to either Crabtree or Boldin.
What Mike Evans Does Well
At 6'5" and 231 pounds, Evans has the size to be a dominating force at the next level. He will become an immediate red-zone target, especially on fades. That's something that a lot of teams in the NFL, San Francisco included, struggled with last season.
More than just generic attributes, Evans has the athleticism to make the most of his frame. He does a solid job catching the ball at its highest point, continually leaping over defenders to make the play. One of the most underrated aspects of Evans' game is that he does a stellar job beating press coverage. In this, he'd be an immediate threat against Richard Sherman and the Seattle Seahawks.
The Texas A&M product also does a solid job making plays on the back shoulder fade, something that's becoming quite popular around the NFL. Because he's good leveraging his physicality and size against defenders, this aspect of his game is nearly unstoppable.
What Mike Evans Struggles With
Texas A&M ran pretty much a one-read offense last year. This means that Evans' route tree is extremely limited. While he doesn't loop around back to the ball on the comeback or stray away from the routoe on the fade, Evans simply doesn't have a pro-ready route tree at this point. This could limit his overall production as a rookie and early in his career.
Evans isn't able to get over the top of the defense. He lacks the necessary second-level speed to dominate down the field. Instead, Evans isn't going to be much more than a possession guy at the next level. His ceiling is pretty much what we see in Boldin.
All this indicates that Evans will struggle if he's the focal point of an offense early in his career. His best option is being a No. 2 or No. 3 before he learns the nuances of playing wide receiver in the NFL.