04-30-2022, 03:50 PM
https://www.columbiatribune.com/story/sp...409804001/
STRENGTHS: Passes the eye test with his height and length ... has the blend of speed and footwork to square his shoulders, mirror in press and carry receivers
vertically ... efficient pedal mechanics to transition or plant and drive ... plays to his size in man coverage, jamming and peppering wideouts ... able to pattern match
from zone and sniff out routes ... has recovery skills at the catch point and looks to play through the ball ... not shy getting his hands dirty in run support and
consistently gets his man on the ground ... community and civic service are important to him and he started the Akayleb Evans Foundation in 2017 to help the less
fortunate ... played well after moving to the SEC in 2021 where he was coached by Steve Wilks, a former NFL head coach and now the secondary coach with the
Carolina Panthers.
WEAKNESSES: Unimpressive ball production with only one career interception ... focuses his attention on his man and needs to do a better job balancing his eyes
between the route and quarterback ... suspect hands and leaves interceptions on the field ... needs to keep his weight off his heels and play with better control at the
top of routes ... highly penalized, drawing 10 flags over the last two seasons ... needs to be more calculating with his risk-taking ... sound tackler but can be late
shedding receiver blocks ... missed a total of 13 games during the last four seasons because of minor injuries, including a soft-tissue injury as a senior (November
2021).
SUMMARY: A one-year starter at Missouri, Evans was an outside cornerback in former defensive coordinator Steve Wilks’ man-zone scheme, seeing occasional snaps
in the slot. After four years at Tulsa, he transferred to the Tigers for the 2021 season and showed zero decline in performance against SEC competition and his ball
production only increased, including his first career interception. A physical, long-armed athlete, Evans has plus speed and transition movement skills to press or play
from depth. His eye discipline needs to be better to help mask his lack of short-area twitch and control when attempting to constrict passing windows. Overall, Evans
doesn’t have the résumé or reaction quickness of a playmaking corner, but he has an enticing combination of size, length and speed to hold up in man or zone
coverage. He projects as a rotational corner in the NFL with starting upside.
vertically ... efficient pedal mechanics to transition or plant and drive ... plays to his size in man coverage, jamming and peppering wideouts ... able to pattern match
from zone and sniff out routes ... has recovery skills at the catch point and looks to play through the ball ... not shy getting his hands dirty in run support and
consistently gets his man on the ground ... community and civic service are important to him and he started the Akayleb Evans Foundation in 2017 to help the less
fortunate ... played well after moving to the SEC in 2021 where he was coached by Steve Wilks, a former NFL head coach and now the secondary coach with the
Carolina Panthers.
WEAKNESSES: Unimpressive ball production with only one career interception ... focuses his attention on his man and needs to do a better job balancing his eyes
between the route and quarterback ... suspect hands and leaves interceptions on the field ... needs to keep his weight off his heels and play with better control at the
top of routes ... highly penalized, drawing 10 flags over the last two seasons ... needs to be more calculating with his risk-taking ... sound tackler but can be late
shedding receiver blocks ... missed a total of 13 games during the last four seasons because of minor injuries, including a soft-tissue injury as a senior (November
2021).
SUMMARY: A one-year starter at Missouri, Evans was an outside cornerback in former defensive coordinator Steve Wilks’ man-zone scheme, seeing occasional snaps
in the slot. After four years at Tulsa, he transferred to the Tigers for the 2021 season and showed zero decline in performance against SEC competition and his ball
production only increased, including his first career interception. A physical, long-armed athlete, Evans has plus speed and transition movement skills to press or play
from depth. His eye discipline needs to be better to help mask his lack of short-area twitch and control when attempting to constrict passing windows. Overall, Evans
doesn’t have the résumé or reaction quickness of a playmaking corner, but he has an enticing combination of size, length and speed to hold up in man or zone
coverage. He projects as a rotational corner in the NFL with starting upside.