Next up in our 2017 NFL Draft Profile Series is hard-hitting former Texas A&M Safety Justin Evans who figures to be a first or second day selection.
In Justin Evans‘ short, two year career as an Aggie he made a big impact on the defensive side of the ball. Evans earned the reputation of being a ballhawk in the run game as a hard-hitting safety. He could tackle the best of them, including Heisman winner Derick Henry. Evans added to his highlight reel by flattening out Henry in 2015. In 2015 the Aggie safety finished with 6.5 tackles per game, 47 of which were unassisted.
During the 2016 season, Justin Evans began to show off his skills as a backfield defender. He also continued to make strides as a run-stopper. In 2015, he had 4 pass deflections and 1 interception. In 2016, he had 12 deflections and 4 interceptions, including this spectacular grab against UCLA . On top of that, he increased his tackling numbers to 6.7 per game, with 52 of them being solo tackles.
While it did lead to some mistakes in coverage, Justin Evans’ aggressiveness seemed to make an impact in all facets of the Aggie defense. When Justin Evans was playing well, the defense around him rose to the occasion more often that not.