IDP Dynasty Fantasy Football Rookie Update: Rashaan Evans, LB TEN

Name: Rashaan Evans

Position: Linebacker

Pro Team: Tennessee Titans

College Team: Alabama

Draft Status: First round, 22nd overall

Video Highlights

Combine Review

• Height: 6’3”
• Weight: 232 pounds
• Hands: 10”
• Arm Length: 32 1/4”
• 40-Yard Dash: N/A
• Vertical: 30”
• Broad: 116”
• 3-Cone: 6.95 seconds
• 20-Yard Shuttle: 4.36 seconds

Strengths

Before we get started, if you didn’t watch the highlights above I highly recommend you do so. It’s unlikely you make it all the way through without your jaw dropping. Rashaan Evans has grown into an absolute do-it-all nightmare at linebacker. It did take him a while to see an every-down role at Alabama, but the past two seasons have been an absolute joy to watch. This former five-star linebacker recruit has just about too many strengths to list, but we’ll tackle a few.

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Let’s start with his play against the run. Evans is incredible at timing the snap and getting to the ball carrier. It doesn’t matter where he lines up. He shows extreme gap discipline, but doesn’t just wait on the runner to show up. No, what Evans likes to do is shoot his gap and make any contact possible with the ball carrier. Sometimes he just gets a hand on a shoelace. Sometimes he knocks people off their feet. Regardless, his ridiculous pursuit speed and aggressive, yet disciplined approach in run defense is astonishing.

Second, most inside linebackers aren’t the best pass rushers. As his stats clearly show, with 15 career sacks, Evans knows how to get after the quarterback. As mentioned before, he times the snap, bends, rips, and the quarterback seldom even has time to react. He can come off the edge or up the gut. His mix of insane burst and awareness allow him to even delay his blitz or work his way to the quarterback out of spying and staying near the line. Watching Evans read, react, and burst into the backfield is going to be a trademark of the Tennessee Titans defense for years to come.

And lastly (because I can’t cover all of his strengths in one article), Evans has some pretty decent cover skills. Like many linebackers, he’s more successful in zone than sticking with a shifty wide receiver in man coverage, but he can do that too. He again uses his otherworldly awareness and pursuit to close the gap in coverage. He’ll quite often either get his hand on the pass or annihilate the receiver with perfect timing. Evans does it all.

Weaknesses

The same strength that makes Evans so insane to account for in the run game can also be a detriment at times. He shows excellent gap discipline and aggression, but sometimes that hurts. When a shifty running back sees him coming sometimes that allows for a cutback lane an opening to the outside. However, most of the time that isn’t an issue as Evans still manages to make some kind of contact.

Evans could also perhaps learn to actually use proper leverage on inside runs to hold position and limit gains instead of going for the kill shot sometimes. Again though, most of the time his aggression and speed are rewarded with a tackle or at least taking a blocker out of the play.

The only other possible weakness to consider when analyzing Evans is that his style of play may actually get him hurt in the NFL. He flies all over the place. Hopefully, he can avoid concussions.

Opportunities

Avery Williamson saw 60% of defensives snaps in 2018 as the Titans second inside linebacker, but he’s on the Jets now. The only other real competition at inside linebacker is 32-year-old Wesley Woodyard. As the team’s primary inside option, he saw 94% of the team’s defensive snaps. That role could and should easily be all Evans by 2019, if not sooner. Wesley Woodyard just dropped a LB1 season in that same role. A younger, faster, and potentially stronger Evans could do the same soon.

Threats

The only threat to Rashaan Evans absolutely annihilating IDP fantasy football leagues is Wesley Woodyard. Yes, the Titans brought in career backup, Will Compton, but he’s just there for depth. They still have Jayon Brown to come in on 3-3-5 looks, but he doesn’t do anything better than Evans. Evans was brought in to be the every-down difference maker. Nothing is going to stop him from seeing 60% of snaps (at least) in year one.

Short-Term Expectations

Evans will immediately be start-worthy in deeper IDP leagues as a flex – regardless of how the Titans deploy Woodyard. The Titans scheme only allows for one true every-down linebacker though. If Evans doesn’t earn that right away, his ceiling is most definitely capped. Depending on how quickly he picks up the intricacies of the Titans defense, Evans could be an every-week back end LB1 down the stretch.

Long-Term Expectations

There are likely three linebackers in the 2018 class who boast long-term LB1 upside: Roquan Smith, Tremaine Edmunds, and Rashaan Evans. If Evans stays healthy there is absolutely no reason he isn’t a top-15 linebacker in dynasty by the end of 2019. He does too many things incredibly well to not light up the stat sheet. Generally, 3-4 linebackers don’t have the ceiling, but in the Titans scheme and today’s NFL, it’s all about snap percentage. Evans should push for 90% or more of defensive snaps for the majority of his career unless things drastically change for both the Titans and the NFL as a whole.

Rookie Draft Advice

Even though Evans is in a stellar situation and boasts possibly the most balanced skill set of any linebacker in the 2018 class, he’s still not considered worth more than a late second-round rookie pick in most formats. If you want to secure Evans in 100% of rookie drafts trade into pick 18 or so. That will get it done just about everywhere.

As always, find me on Twitter @FF_TravisM. Look for videos from me using the hashtag #TouchdownTime. And yes, I love to chat about these players. I want to learn from you! Thanks for reading, and keeping living that Dynasty Life!

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