Scouting Profile: Mitchell Evans - TE - Notre Dame
Sales Pitch: Traditional in-line TE with plus strength and blocking ability. Average athlete with an injury history that caps his ceiling but does enough well to be a low-end starter.
*Gold Numbers Indicate NCAA T-25 for 2024*
Scouting Report
Mitchell Evans is a former 3-Star recruit from the state of Ohio, where he was a football and basketball standout. He started 23 games across 4 seasons at Notre Dame with both his 2022 and 2023 season being cut short due to lower body injuries. Evans had a career year in 2024 once he returned from his ACL injury, and was a John Mackey Semifinalist.
Evans is built exactly like an in-line Y-TE should be with good mass and play strength. He played all over the formation for the Irish during his time there, but does his best work when attached to the line of scrimmage. Evans is a sound blocker who squares up his target with balanced frame and good hand placement. He brings his hips and legs into his fit with good leg drive to attach and drive edge defenders off the ball. He has the frame and weight to hold his ground without being squeezed into the gap when sealing on the edge. Mitchell isn’t an amazing athlete but has plus burst out of his stance. It allows him to get to blockers in space and seal them off. Evans is at his best as a receiver attacking zone coverage over the middle of the field. He is a big dependable target who can use his size to wall off defenders. He has sound hands that secure the ball tightly through contact.
Evans is an average athlete at best for the tight end position. He lacks the suddenness or twitch needed to be a weapon in the passing game against man coverage. His below average long speed limits his ability to threaten defenses vertically, with over 65% of his targets coming inside 10 yards. He also offers very little after the catch with the ball in his hands. Evans is a good blocker but does have some deficiencies that will hold him back at the next level. His 32” arms are 12th percentile for the position and create issues locking out and controlling defenders. He also displays average redirect ability in space which makes it a struggle to corral quicker defenders for longer periods of time. Evans shows enough with his technique and strength to be a plus blocker, but may become a secondary option if his arm length becomes an issue at the next level.
Evans profiles best as a Y-TE who spends most of his time attached to the tackle. His size, strength and blocking ability is something every NFL team is in search of. Evans projects as an early Day-3 pick given his modest athleticism and injury, history but shows enough in both phases of the game to be a potential starter down the line.