2023 NFL Draft Scouting Notes: RB Zach Evans, Ole Miss

Zach Evans is a wildcard in this upcoming class. Talent-wise, he looks like a sure-fire first-round pick. His nimbleness and pure natural athletic ability make it so clear why he was the unanimous best running back in his recruiting class. That being said, his maturity and the way he has handled his college career up to this point have left many people scratching their heads. The only real complaint that I have with his game from 2021 was the fact that he would get tired at the end of games and not run as hard.

Zach Evans

RB – Ole Miss Rebels

HT: 5016
WT: 215
Year: Super Sophomore
High School: North Shore (Houston, TX)
Rating: 5-star (0.9925)

Projected Draft Grade: Immediate Role Player

Projection: 2nd/3rd Round

Ole Miss running back Zach Evans is a top-3 player at his position in the 2023 draft class.

Still underrated. Absolute playmaker and game-changer.pic.twitter.com/fZ6MCHd46L
— Luca Sartirana (@SartiranaLuca) December 28, 2022

Zach Evans scouting notes

Pros:

Excellent speed. Could run faster than a 4.40 forty, but he should be in the 4.38 to 4.43 range.
Very shifty. Looses almost no speed when he goes through a juke.
So good at keeping his feet churning and pushing the pile forward to gain additional yardage.
Has a little strength to his game! Not afraid to dish out some punishment against defenders, especially in the secondary.
Acceleration is good and seamless.
Has some ridiculously smooth explosion that flashes on tape during his big runs. Electric runner.
A master of reading blocks quickly and hitting the hole with decisiveness and explosion.
Runs well between the tackles. Won’t go down with an arm tackle.
Solid runner in space – difficult to predict his next move. Spins and dekes his way into good positioning to fall forward if he can’t break the tackle.
Ran routes from both the backfield and occasionally the slot. Has good route running ability. Does a good job working free through sticky situations.
Very strong pass blocker. Strong, technical blocker in general.

Cons:

A little loose with his body control, but not in a way that seems to hinder him. Can make multiple cuts on a single play.
Very capable as a receiver. Does suffer from concentration drops at times, looking up field to make a play before securing the catch.
Doesn’t catch too well through contact.
Seems to lose a lot of energy after halftime.