Ravens General Manager Ozzie Newsome made it clear that his team needs a big receiver to pick up third downs and to provide a presence in the Red Zone. With those comments in mind it would seem that the logical choice for Baltimore in the first round would be the huge pass catcher out of Texas A&M, Mike Evans.
(You can discuss this on the BSL Board here.)
Mike Evans
Wide Receiver
Texas A&M
Height: 6’5″ Weight: 225 lbs. 40 Time: 4.55
Strengths:
-Great Size
-Clutch playmaker against top competition
-Superb Ball Skills; Hand-Eye coordination
Negatives:
-Decent speed but not a burner
-Game Maturity
2012 Stats: 82 Receptions for 1105 Yards (13.5 Avg), 5 TDs.
2013 Stats: 69 Receptions for 1394 Yards (20.2 Avg), 12 TDs.
There are three receivers currently in this draft that are being touted as possible first-round selections, Sammy Watkins from Clemson, Marquise Lee from USC and Evana from Texas A & M. As usual where they rank depends upon who is doing the ranking but considering the Ravens needs for a physical huge target Evans seems to be the preferrable selection among the group.
At 6’5″, 225 pounds Evans already possesses the physical tools that Baltimore would be looking for to perhaps pair with Torrey Smith. He will almost always have an advantage over whomever attempts to cover him while his athletic ability and speed are good enough to compliment his physical gifts.
Evans came in as a three-star recruit to A & M and after a redshirt season has proven that he can play against the best that the college game can offer. He’s also benefited playing for a very good quarterback in Johnny Manziel in a spread offense. It will be interesting to see how he adapts to the pro game where he will need to increase his knowledge of pro defenses and how they will hope to limit him.
As you might expect his route running will need work. Evans normally ran Slants, Flys, and Curls with effectiveness in the Aggies offense. However he has shown an ability to match press coverage and release cleanly into his breaks. His hands seem to be above average and he has an ability to adjust to throws that aren’t just thrown into his hands.
Overall, Evans shows great potential and could develop into the Vincent Jackson type player that some scouts have projected him to be. Of course he’ll need some time to get to that level of production and with every player that learning curve varies. You’d have to think that once he refines his route running and learns how to use his body against pro competition he could become a very solid professional.
Matt has lived in Maryland his entire life and is a graduate of Calvert Hall and Towson University. has always been an avid Baltimore sports fan. Since 2007, he has been writing and talking about Baltimore sports, especially the Ravens. His work has appeared on Ravens Gab, Russell Street Report, and he currently co-hosts a podcast “The Blitz- A Ravens podcast” with Brent Harris.