The Basics
Rashaan Evans, a 6-foot-3 232 pound monster out of the University of Alabama. Evans has been compared to Lawrence Timmons, which is certainly not a bad thing. Evans is a perfect fit for this Titans defense. He’s the prototypical breed of linebackers that we are seeing more and more of in today’s game. Evans has good length, great speed, and a keen ability to diagnose plays as they develop.
College
Evans was a 4 year player at Alabama. It wasn’t until his junior year that he was truly a full-fledged starter. Throughout his 4 year career, Evans racked up 150 total tackles. 23.5 of those tackles were for a loss, along with 15 total sacks. Evans really came onto the scene this past year finishing the season with 74 total tackles. 13 of those for a loss, along with 6 sacks. Evans also had a fumble recovery and 3 passes defended. Evans really showcased all of his talents last season, and the Titans are lucky to have him. Look for Evans to immediately make a difference on this defense. He has the ability to step right in and be a key starter on this increasingly confident defense.
Overall Thoughts
The Titans made a great decision here. I think we all got excited when we saw the Titans were trading up in the draft. We knew that whoever they were taking, they were sold on him. Giving up the 125th pick in this years draft is an interesting move. Add that to our first rounder and it just truly shows how much confidence they already have in Evans to perform. The Titans needed an edge-rusher, and that’s what they went out and got. Dig deeper though, and you’ll see that they got much more than that. Evans has the ability to go out into coverage and make the necessary plays. His versatility will be key on this defense, it will be fun to see everything he can do on the field.
What’s Next?
Keep your eyes peeled Titans fans. Even though we drafted one of our biggest needs, I don’t think that means we won’t re-visit it given the opportunity. Look for them to consider all options moving forward, including adding another edge-rusher. Yes, we have other needs to address, however that may not stop them. Harold Landry is linked to Tennessee by a lot of analysts. With him falling out of the first round, could we see the Titans make a play to obtain him as well?
