All Twenty-Tuesday: S Justin Evans

Evans’ film review is an extensive one. In fact, it might have the most clips I’ve ever put in one of these articles, minus maybe the one for Vernon Hargreaves’ season review. The reason for this is because we have to put rational to the polarization. Evans does so many things at an exceptional level, yet too many things at a below average level. Where’s the medium, and which side is more susceptible to his NFL career?

Let’s find out.

Ice Up, Son

Justin Evans big hit versus South Carolina

In almost every single game I watch of Evans (even before this film study), I saw a hit like the one above.

Big hits are in Evans’ nature. His top-notch athleticism for the position allow him to read, react and fly to wherever the ball is going, whether that be in the air or on the ground, and make some kind of a show-stopping hit – or at least put himself in position to make one, though it doesn’t always happen (we’ll get to that later).

Justin Evans range to big hit versus LSU

Evans has a tendency to miss on some of these bigger hits that he goes for, something we’ll touch on more in a bit. But, as seen in the clip above and in the clip before that, even though he lowers his head and takes his eyes off the target a bit sooner than he should, his form for big hits is quite good. He leads with his shoulder and get his targets right in the chest. He’s not one to head hunt and cause an unnecessary penalty, and when he connects, the hits can often dislodge the ball.

Justin Evans big hit versus Tennessee

Notice the position that Evans came from in the clip directly above and in the one before it. Not only did he have to cover a good amount of ground in a short amount of time, the reason he was able to do it was because he was reading the quarterback’s eyes and made a break on the ball as soon as the decision was made to throw it there.

Now, I’m sure there are people who are reading this going, “Yeah, yeah, Trevor, we get it. He can make big hits sometimes, get to the part where we crush him for missing the small stuff.” But, realize that I’m pointing these things out for a reason. Evans can be a big hitter, and that is great, but what’s more encouraging is how precise he is with his big hits when he makes contact. You can argue that sometimes he whiffs on these big hits, but I think the reason for that doesn’t come from a failure of the hit, it’s the failure in discipline from the type if tackle he goes for e.i. lowering the shoulder instead of wrapping up.

When Evans makes the right decision on what he should do, he has the athleticism, the talent and the instincts to be an effective eraser of a hitter. Those traits also bring us to our next point.

Range

Justin Evans shows good range versus Tennessee

A trait that gives Evan the ability to make the big hits he does is the range he can cover on the field. This is a trait that got Ohio State safety Malik Hooker the hype he had going through the draft process, and I believe Evans is of a similar mold.

(Hint: Evans is a free safety)

I don’t think Evans is quite the centerfielder Hooker is, but he might end up being the next best in this class. In the clip above, Evans doesn’t make the play, but he does go all the way from one side of the field to the other, and would have been there in time to at least lay a big hit either right at the catch point or shortly after.

Justin Evans great coverage versus South Carolina

Evans’ range doesn’t just come in the form of going sideline-to-sideline, either. He also shows good range and fluid movements when backpedaling in coverage, as shown above.

This is something we got a glimpse of from him in the Bucs’ Rookie Mini-Camp. In it, Evans was clearly one of if not the most athletic player on the field, and that was evident by how smooth he could move backwards and change direction. If you ask me, Evans’ second best position might actually be slot corner, not even strong safety. That’s because of how well he moves, how explosive he is, and his potential to mirror receivers.

That’s not even to mention his ball skills.

Justin Evans great coverage versus South Carolina part two

The clip above is a different, slower angle of the clip right above it. This time we got a really good look at the ball skills I referenced earlier.

Some players just have a knack for timing a jump, getting their hands on the ball and either taking it away or knocking it away. Evans is so natural at this. When he puts himself in the right position, you rarely see him miss-time a jump or an attempt at the ball. This all falls under the instinct category. These are immeasurable traits that you can’t teach. This is something I believe the Buccaneers see a lot of in Evans. Many things he does incorrectly are teachable. Some things are just bad habits that need to go away. But, plays like the one above? For those, even the most technically sound safeties in the game can’t make because it’s all about mental processing and athletic ability.

Free or Strong?

Justin Evans good coverage, read QBs eyes versus Tennessee

Knowing what he can do, the debate arises of what Evans is: Is he a strong safety or a free safety? To me, he’s whatever allow hims to read the quarterbacks eyes and pay in space (that’s usually a free safety).

In the play above, even though Evans is playing closer to the line of scrimmage like a strong safety, he makes a play like a free safety because of where he keeps his eyes. As a strong safety, you’re often in man coverage or focused on what’s going on behind the line of scrimmage. That doesn’t give you the ability to read an react as much. Giving Evans that freedom to feel a zone or see where open space is is a strength of his. That’s the trait of a free safety.

Justin Evans can’t get off block

Putting Evans in a strong safety role would also open him up to plays like the one above. By limiting the amount of space he would have to move in, the potential would be higher for him to get locked up in blocks by players far bigger than him like tight ends. That’s not ideal.

As shown in the play above, Evans has a tough time getting off blocks without movement. His frame is much longer than it is compact and strong, and because of that, playing him closer to the trenches would probably hurt his potential impact on a play. That’s another reason I prefer him as a free safety. The more space he has, the greater chance he has to make a play.

Justin Evans good communication versus LSU.

When Evans is playing with confidence, he’s at his best (duh). That’s not just with playmaking ability, but also as a leader. When you play on the back end, you have to not only be able to recognize a play, but also properly communicate it to the rest of your teammates. In the play above, Evans sees the switch, makes the call to his teammates, and covers nicely. That’s something that Mike Smith talked about with Evans in particular, the importance of being the eyes of the defense (a necessity if he were to play free safety). When asked about it after the Rookie mini-camp, Evans said he doesn’t mind being vocal, but he has to know the playbook and do the work in the film room first.

Aggression: A Gift and A Curse

Justin Evans missed tackle versus UCLA

What makes Evans so coveted to those who admire his attributes is unfortunately what also gets him in trouble.

Just like those big, crushing blows that seem to happen every game, plays like the one above happen every game as well. The same athleticism that allows Evans to track a ball far in the air, or make a break on a pass over the middle also seem to make him a loose cannon when attacking the line of scrimmage.

In plays like the one above, Evans just can’t control himself. He’s like Luis Mendoza from the movie Mighty Ducks 2. Evans had plenty of room to square up and make the tackle, but because he tried to fly up so fast, he stutter stepped one too many times allowed him man to easily blow by him to the sideline.

Justin Evans bad tackling, over aggressive versus Tennessee

But, even though the miss-judged tackles when containing a ball carrier are bad, the play above, to me, is what Evans must work on the most at the next level if he wants to earn starting time early on.

Evans does not have to lower his shoulder in the play above. All he had to do was go at Alvin Kamara with his arms open, wrap him up, or at worst, trip him up a bit with his arms to Kamara’s feet. Again, the agressive nature that made Evans a top safety prospect for what he can do in space also makes him reckless with what he’s required to do as a safety.

However, all that said, here’s a take for you all. Are you ready?

Lean in closer.

Closer.

*Whispers*: I don’t care nearly as much as most people do about his missed tackles in college.

Evans shows precision at high speed both in the air and when lowering his shoulder. He’s not one for pass interference calls, and he’s not a reckless tacklers when he actually controls himself enough to fully square up (that’s at half speed and full speed). That tells me when i see him whiff on tackles like in the clips above, it’s not because he’s a bad tackler, it’s because he’s not disciplined (there’s a difference).

Justin Evans good track tackling versus Tennessee

Surprise, surprise, Evans makes tackles like the one above all the time. The problem is, most people just remember the times he should have an he doesn’t.

I’m not saying that Evans doesn’t have things to work on, he does. But, what I am saying is that he’s shown to have the mental processing speed and the precision to be as good as you’d want him to be in every area of the free safety position. He lacks discipline right now, yes. No doubt about it. But what he has is very tough to teach.

That brings us to my last category on Evans, and the mindset it will take to get to the level the Buccaneers picked him to play at.

Be A Dog

Justin Evans “no dog”

The determining factor in what will make Evans a steal in the draft or a player who we all look back on and said “what if” is the dog in him.

Evans has a desire to be great, a desire to make the big plays, but sometime, including in his decision making to go for big hits instead of wrapping up, I don’t see him want to get dirty.

Former Coastal Carolina football coach, David Bennett, is famous for giving a presser where he says, “be a dog.” It’s a funny presser that made national headlines because it was so bizarre, but the theme of it is nothing new.

To be a dog means to do the dirty work, to go after things, to be instinctual, to work hard, to see a moment, know you’re going to get roughed up, but go for it anyways. Being a dog is doing what you need to do.

Sometimes that’s missing from Evans.

Look at the play above. Evans gets turned around, and as the play is still going on, he doesn’t jump on the pile, he isn’t yearning to force that ball carrier back. If they give up a couple extra yards, he didn’t mind.

Can’t have it. Be a dog.

Justin Evans “no dog” versus LSU

The play above was another one I saw. Do you know why LSU’s Jamal Adams was so universally beloved around the scouting world? He’s a dog. He does the dirty work. There’s not a pile he doesn’t want to be a part of, and there’s no ball carrier that he doesn’t want to bring down himself.

I’m not calling Evans out for being lazy; he’s not. He takes plenty of hits and certainly dishes out some of his own. There’s pain and gain in his game. All I’m saying is that he needs to remember to be a dog at all times. Playing safety is about the flashy plays and the dirty ones.

Be a dog.