Mitchell Evans, TE Notre Dame: 2025 NFL Draft Profile

Evans was a three-star recruit from Wadsworth High School in Wadsworth, Ohio in the class of 2021

Mitchell Evans is in line to be the next great Notre Dame tight end. The senior was on pace for a terrific 2023 season before suffering a torn ACL. If he comes back healthy, Evans will be one of the top tight ends selected in the 2025 NFL Draft.

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Mitchell Evans, TE Notre Dame: 2025 NFL Draft Profile

Classification: Senior tight end from Wadsworth, Ohio

Background: Evans was a three-star recruit from Wadsworth High School in Wadsworth, Ohio in the class of 2021. He was the No. 493 recruit according to 247Sports and No. 440 for On3.com. Evans was an unranked three-star recruit for Rivals and an unranked three-star recruit for ESPN with a 78 grade out of 100. As a high school senior, he played quarterback and punter. Evans passed for 2,132 yards and 23 touchdowns. As a junior, he caught 19 passes for 306 yards and seven touchdowns and carried the ball three times for 61 yards and a touchdown. Evans earned First Team All-State honors from the Ohio Prep Sportswriters Association as a senior. He also played basketball in high school. His father, Adam, played football at Penn and Kent State. Evans’ mother, Jodi, played volleyball at Akron, and his sister, Kacie, was a multi-time All-SEC volleyball player at Georgia who signed a contract with the Atlanta Vibe, a professional indoor volleyball team.

Injuries & Off-Field: Missed five games in 2022 after surgery to repair fifth metatarsal in one of his feet, missed four games in 2023 with a torn ACL

Awards: 2023 Second Team All-Independent (College Football Network)

Pros: Lines up in-line and in the slot with some at H-back, arm length appears to meet NFL thresholds, mixes route tempo, doesn’t mind playing through contact against DBs, full speed cuts open throwing windows, widens the defender before taking inside leverage on his route, recognizes and runs to space, developing a good feel for holes in shallow zones, good at finding the soft spot between the zone’s second and third levels, natural hands catcher, ball tracking, high points the ball well, excellent concentration at the catch point, one-handed snags, digs low throws out of the dirt, comfortable making catches with limited separation, good block framing, provides temporary seals on edge rushers for off-tackle runs, good initial hand placement and strike timing in pass pro, slowed Jack Sawyer a couple times with initial punch (2023)

Cons: Limited special teams versatility, committed three penalties in 2023, enters 2024 with half a season of serious production, not an explosive or twitchy athlete, slow getting off the LOS at times, bit of a short-strider sometimes, inconsistent separation vs. man coverage, not a natural separator vertically, limited vertical threat, easy to carry and cover downfield for DBs, needs to get head around sooner when working downfield, not many broken tackles after the catch, lacks mean mentality as a blocker, block power is underwhelming, inconsistent at landing blocks on the move, poor GPS to find defenders to block, lacks the lateral footwork to stick with edge rushers up the arc in pass pro

Overview: Evans enters 2024 with a little more than half a season of serious production in his college career as he works his way back from a torn ACL. He offers limited special teams versatility but averaged 52 yards per game last season, counting the Week 0 game against Navy when Sam Hartman didn’t target him. Evans lines up in-line, in the slot, and takes a handful of snaps at H-back. His arm length appears to meet the NFL’s thresholds. Mitchell is not an explosive or twitchy athlete and can be slow getting off the line of scrimmage at times because of short strides. He mixes route tempo and doesn’t fear playing through contact from defensive backs early in plays. On in-breaking routes, the Ohio native makes firm cuts off his strong plant foot, but the process is a little exaggerated and gives the defender time to adjust, nullifying the sharp break. His full speed cuts do open throwing windows for the quarterback, but he doesn’t always hit cuts at full speed. He uses tempo and leverage well for a player who didn’t see the ball much in his first two seasons. Evans forces the coverage wide before capturing inside leverage and forcing the defender to play through his frame to reach the ball on potential targets. He recognizes and runs to space against zone coverage and is quickly developing a feel for holes in zone between the defense’s second and third levels. Evans is inconsistent separating against man coverage and isn’t a natural separator on vertical routes. Defensive backs rarely struggle to stick with him when working downfield. When he does work downfield, the senior must get his head around for his quarterback sooner to provide a clear receiving option. Fortunately, Evans is a natural hands catcher with excellent ball tracking to high point throws. His concentration at the catch point is fantastic and contributes to some one-handed receptions or tipped catches. He also gets low to dig throws out of the turf. Evans has no problem making catches in tight windows with defenders hanging on him. He doesn’t break many tackles after the catch and has limited YAC upside. The Wadsworth High School product frames blocks well but lacks the ideal, mean blocking mentality to overpower defenders. His block power is underwhelming, and he struggles to land blocks on the move. His internal GPS leads him astray when blocking in space. He lacks the lateral footwork to mirror edge rushers and carry them up the arc in pass protection. However, Evans successfully slowed Jack Sawyer a couple times thanks to a well-placed initial punch. His initial hand placement and strike timing are surprisingly effective. He also provides temporary seals on edge defenders to spring off-tackle runs.

Overall, Evans has a nice frame for a tight end capable of operating in-line and in the slot, and his ball skills and soft hands make up for instances when he generates limited separation. Evans’ volume at the NFL level will likely be capped by his lack of high-end athletic traits, which limit him against man coverage and after the catch. He still offers starter-level upside if his recovery from his ACL injury goes well.

Role & Scheme Fit: Slot (F) tight end with in-line versatility

Round Projection: Mid Third to Mid Fourth Round

Size: 6'5", 261 lbs. (Unofficial)

Submitted: 03-15-24