2023 NFL Draft Profile: Zach Evans

In only one season at Ole Miss, Zach Evans was ultra productive for the Rebels despite dealing with several injuries throughout the 2022 season.

The TCU transfer was often overshadowed by freshman Quinshon Judkins in 2022, despite putting up 936 yards of his own with nine touchdowns in his junior year. Evans elected to forgo his senior season to declare for the NFL Draft, and looks to bring immediate impact for an NFL team in need of a solid back.

At 5’11” and 202 pounds, Evans is the ideal traditional running back. His explosiveness and long-strides in open space make him a threat to defenses everywhere. Rebel fans watched him absorb contact easily, while also being able to break free to open field and embarrass opposing defenders.

Evans is currently projected to be drafted somewhere in the middle rounds, either late on Friday night or early Saturday afternoon. After dealing with several injuries during the season and a minor hamstring issue earlier in the year, Evans chose to wait to run until the Pro Day in Oxford instead of at the NFL Combine. He ran an impressive but unofficial 4.45 40-yard dash, ranking him at sixth among the other running backs who ran at the combine.

The Houston, Texas native came out of high school as a five-star recruit, ultimately deciding to stay in his home state and play for the TCU Horned Frogs. He transferred to Ole Miss in 2022 as a very high profile pick-up for the Rebs.

Evans has been criticized for his inability to prove resourceful as a pass-catcher to create more of a dynamic offense through him. However, one area that Evans’ excels in is his pass protection skill set. He is more than willing to run through a defender to create more opportunities on offense. Evans will prove to be a big asset for whichever team picks him up this weekend.

You can tune in to the NFL Draft starting on Thursday, April 27 at 7 p.m. C.T.