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EXPLORING VIKINGS DRAFT TRENDS
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DARRYNTON EVANS
HEIGHT/WEIGHT/AGE
5-foot-10
203 pounds
21 years old
BIG PICTURE
Darrynton Evans was one of the Sun Belt's top offensive players over the last two years with the Mountaineers. The 5-foot-10 back rushed for 1,480 yards and 18 touchdowns as a redshirt junior, his second 1,000-yard season. He also added five touchdowns through the air and returned a kickoff for a touchdown. Evans demonstrated excellent speed at the combine, but pundits say his biggest hurdle might be absorbing contact and breaking tackles in the NFL. Missed 2017 with a knee injury.
COMBINE NOTABLES
4.41 40-yard dash (2nd)
20 bench reps
37-inch vertical
125-inch broad jump (T-5th)
VIKINGS' COMPATIBILITY RANKING
2 out of 5. Taking a late-round chance on Evans makes more sense than spending a high pick at running back.
HIGHLIGHTS
WHAT DRAFT EXPERTS SAY
Lance Zierlein, NFL.com: "Slashing outside-zone runner with glide in his stride and ability to run with elusiveness and creativity. Evans is a little undersized and might be viewed as a change-of-pace option, but he appears to have the three-down skill set to handle committee carries. He can run with patience, but has the loose hips and agile feet to plant-and-go in a hurry. He sees the field and does a nice job of setting up and eluding tacklers with lateral cuts or stacked moves. While he's confident in space, Evans lacks the commitment and finishing force to make a living inside the tackles. His third-down and kick-return versatility increases the likelihood that Evans will hear his name called in the middle rounds with a chance to become a solid RB2."
Joe Marino, Draft Network: "Appalachian State running back Darrynton Evans is an explosive runner with plenty of juice and wiggle that makes him a dangerous threat in space with home run hitting potential. He is an ideal complement to a stable of backs that is in need of a space player with return upside. With that said, his spotty vision and slow processing skills present some challenges forecasting him to a heavy workload that features touches as an inside runner. Condensed, heavy traffic areas reveal discomfort from Evans and his power to win through contact is modest. Big play potential is always a welcomed trait for an NFL team, but Evans doesn’t come without restrictions."
WHAT PFF SAYS
65th of 149 in broken tackles per attempt since 2018
28 runs of 20+ yards last two seasons (3rd)
0 fumbles since 2016
CHECK OUT THE REST OF THE ZONE COVERAGE DRAFT GUIDE:
EXPLORING VIKINGS DRAFT TRENDS
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