It's the month of pro days and the 49ers staff will be all over the place evaluating players and scheduling meetings. One of those meetings took place this week, where they met with Texas A&M receiver Mike Evans at his pro day. Evans will be one of the first receivers to come off the board in May's draft.
The Basics
Name: Mike Evans
Position: Wide Receiver
College: Texas A&M
Height: 6'5"
Weight: 231 lbs
Arm Length: 35 1/8"
40 yard dash: 4.53
Vertical: 37"
Bench reps: 12
Pros:
- Can catch in traffic without fearing the big hit
- Great hands
- Red zone threat
- Enough speed to be a vertical threat
- Outmuscles corners off the line
- Solid blocking
- Big games against good teams ( 7 touchdowns, 279 yards, 1 touchdown vs Alabama, and 11 receptions, 287 yards, and 4 touchdowns vs Auburn)
- Strong legs which make him hard to take down
Cons:
- Poor production in road games compared to home (10 touchdowns and 1,101 yards at home, just 293 yards and 2 touchdowns on the road)
- Lacks exceptional speed
- Route running needs fine-tuning. Evans said he has been working on that, and that was evident with his strong combine performance.
- Only two years of college football under his belt
Do your homework:
Does he fit the 49ers?
Evans had the longest arms out of any receiver in this class, which makes him a Baalke fit. With the long arms, Evans is able to throw defenders around off the line of scrimmage, whether it be on a pass play or blocking on a run. The type of physicality and toughness Evans displays makes him a fit for the 49ers. The Niners could also use a big target in the red zone, and Evans would give them that at 6'5".
What makes Evans not fit is the lack of football experience, only playing two years of college ball. Maybe the 49ers would prefer a more experienced wideout, especially when they'd have to trade up to land Evans. The offense he played in at Texas A&M might make him a tough fit. The Aggies offense was a spread offense and there would be a learning curve for Evans to get acclimated to the 49ers scheme. Overall I find him to be more of a fit than not.
What They Are Saying:
- Mike Mayock has Evans ranked as his #2 receiver.
- Daniel Jeremiah has Evans going to the Buffalo Bills at pick number nine in his latest mock draft.
-Check out his stats at cfbstats.com
Conclusion
The 49ers should like a lot about Evans, as should other teams. He reminds me a lot of Brandon Marshall in all facets of his game, He will be a hard receiver to tackle, and should have no problem getting yards after the catch. Evans will be off the board before the 49ers pick, but if he falls into the mid to late teens, I could see a potential trade up. While a cornerback in the first makes more sense to me, if Baalke can find a trade partner that doesn't demand something outrageous, I could see it happening. It would be a pick that would solidify the 49ers receiver depth. The 49ers wouldn't have met with Evans if they had no interest in drafting him.