2020 NFL Draft Prospect – Darrynton Evans, RB Appalachian State
Our NFL rookie profile series continues with this analysis of 2020 NFL Draft prospect Darrynton Evans, RB from Appalachian State. We will continue to provide you with these in-depth rookie profiles and a ton of other fantasy football rookie analysis right up through the NFL Draft. Stay tuned, and stay ahead of your league!
The 2020 rookie class has long been touted as exceptional. The running back group features a handful of top tier talents earmarked as first-round dynasty rookie picks since 2017 along with some attractive later-round options. Darrynton Evans is squarely in the group of later round backs possessing attractive upside. His mix of production and athleticism checks boxes in several categories and suggests he can find success in the NFL.
THE STATS
Statistics from sports-reference.com.
Evans was a two-star prospect in the 2016 recruiting class. He played his prep career in Florida and his highest-profile scholarship offer from the south came from USF. He played just 54 snaps as a true freshman but contributed roughly 500 yards as a returner. He sat out 2017 due to injury before amassing nearly 3,000 yards from scrimmage his last two seasons. He became the team’s primary running back over the final nine games of 2018 and averaged 118 rushing yards per game, then continued that production through 2019.
At first glance, it is disappointing to see just 39 receptions over three seasons, but on a team-adjusted basis, this level of involvement places him square in the middle of NFL running back prospects.
THE FILM
Evans’ slight build is immediately apparent on film, though he does occasionally show unexpected strength to move the pile or fall forward. He is involved in the passing game and displays some ability to make tacklers miss. However, Evans is too often brought down commensurate with his size. His explosion does not pop off the screen to provide sufficient comfort for a 203 pound, small-school running back.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mOy_RFcl5VY
MEASURABLES
Evans had a strong overall performance at the NFL Scouting Combine. The one glaring concern is his weight. At 5’10” and 203 pounds, his body mass index is in the bottom quarter of historical running back Combine participants.
Otherwise, his athletic profile, as visualized by Mock Draftable, includes several positives. His raw numbers in the 40-yard dash, broad jump and vertical jump place in the top 20 percent of historical NFL running back prospects. They even stand up on a size-adjusted basis.
His player comparisons include Felix Jones, Bernard Scott, Justice Hill and Antonio Pittman. It is a peer group with some high hope, athletic dart throw names but limited NFL production.
Overall, Evans’ measurables suggest he deserves consideration as a late-round upside pick from both the NFL and dynasty players.
DYNASTY VALUE
According to DLF’s March 2020 Rookie ADP, Evans currently sits as the rookie 4.10 with an ADP of 46. If you look at February startup ADP, he sits at RB48 with an ADP of 189. This is around running backs Matt Brieda (a surprising value here), Latavius Murray, Jamaal Williams and Carlos Hyde.
He sits at 40 in the DLF staff rookie rankings between KJ Hill and Cole Kmet, implying a mid-fourth round rookie pick value slightly higher than ADP.
The DLF Dynasty Trade Analyzer, whose algorithm determines values based on actual MFL trades, ADP data and DLF rankings, places Evans’ value around the rookie 4.04 pick, suggesting actual MFL trades are roughly in line with the Trade Analyzer’s other inputs. This suggests his real-world price is similar to value reflected in rankings and ADP.
CONCLUSION
Darrynton Evans is an undersized small school prospect. He was an above-average producer in college who was involved in the passing game. He has some intriguing physical traits which are valuable at the running back position, but they do not always show up on film. He currently projects as a late-round flier pick in dynasty drafts. Draft capital may ultimately have the biggest effect on his value.
If an NFL team falls in love with his speed and uses an early- to mid-third day pick on him, his dynasty value could perhaps creep into the late third round of rookie drafts. It may be just as likely that Evans goes undrafted. Regardless, he projects as a late-round dynasty dart throw with some appealing traits.
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