Forum The Longship Akayleb Evans, CB, Missouri

Akayleb Evans, CB, Missouri

MaroonBells
Joined Jan 2014
4,321 posts
Rep: 4,501

https://www.columbiatribune.com/story/sports/college/tiger-extra/2022/04/28/nfl-draft-2022-mizzou-football-missouri-akayleb-evans-tyler-badie/7409804001/

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.



“A gentleman is someone who can play the accordion, but doesn't." - Tom Waits

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#1 · Apr 30, 10:50 AM
DE
Joined Apr 2026
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@"Greylock" said: Its been a weird draft this year with the trades, especially to division rivals.  Seems some are still upset with the choice of our GM and finding a reason to still rip him based on this draft.  Reading through some of the draft threads every player not picked by the Vikings is going to be an instant starter and/or pro bowl player but yet every player the Vikings have picked is a scrub, has injury issues, or just plain was a reach.  Maybe that is all true but why not let the players they picked prove it on the field.
Funny, that. I think it's the nature of many Viking fans. Many have convinced themselves they can't have anything nice. So they will point out every blemish on our picks, while ignoring the gash on the face of others. 
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#22 · May 1, 6:33 AM
DE
Joined Apr 2026
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Dont really care about the number of college interceptions. Vikes need corners who arent pathetic at their jobs. If Evans can create tight windows and pass breakups then im good. Kwesi liked him and wanted him badly so it’s nice to see it happen

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#23 · May 1, 2:43 PM
DE
Joined Apr 2026
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@"Hawkvike25" said: Dont really care about the number of college interceptions. Vikes need corners who arent pathetic at their jobs. If Evans can create tight windows and pass breakups then im good. Kwesi liked him and wanted him badly so it’s nice to see it happen

There's a reason an athlete is a corner over a wide receiver.  Catching the ball might just be why.  If the dude can cover someone, thats a major step in the right direction.

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#24 · May 2, 9:02 AM
DE
Joined Apr 2026
206,512 posts
Rep: 0

I'm not concern about the number of interceptions he had in college...Hell, Hunter only had like what, three sacks while he was at LSU...

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#25 · May 2, 12:15 PM
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Forum The Longship Akayleb Evans, CB, Missouri
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