Thoughts on Mike Evans?

I'm typically not a fan of a 1st round WR, unless you're getting a physically imposing guy that can be dominant. A guy like Megatron, AJ Green, Julio Jones, Dez Bryant, etc. I also think we have bigger needs... but it's currently looking like we'll be picking around 7-8, which makes me think Matthews, Clowney, Barr, and maybe even Lewan and Nix will be gone.

I'm starting to come around on Mike Evans, and think he might be in that mold, at worst I think he's a Vincent Jackson.

Steeler nation has wanted a tall wide receiver for years. People have talked about the lack of aggressiveness from our receivers when the ball is in the air. Well Mike Evans is that guy.

He's 6'5" 225 and uses his frame well. A former basketball player, he does a great job of using his body to box out defenders and find the ball in the air.

He's showed up big in big games. He had 7 catches for 279 yards again Alabama this year. If you watch, a lot of his big plays were him freelancing when Manziel scrambled around to buy time. Sound familiar?

I have a feeling he won't run a great 40 time at the combine which will be the knock on him at the next level. When I've watched tape he's not a burner, but when he gets those long legs going, he can run past defenders.

 

to me, he's a light weighted TE playing WR essentially. there are guys that play TE that are 20-25lbs. heavier that can do more for a team and run near the same 40 time and give you a bigger target. just my thoughts on him anyway. Jordan Matthews or moncrief from miss. are a couple of wr's i'd like. even the kid from BYU or the one from Penn St. there are some good taller receivers this year in the draft and some good TE's which we need also.

 

What about that guy from Clemson? Watkins? Last night when I heard Colbert was at the Clemson game I went to watch highlights of Boyd and people were saying Watkins was really awesome.

 

Watkins is very talented, for sure. Evans is just the big body people have wanted for so long.

 

Do you ever think Moye might develop in to something or is he maybe just nothing more than wishful thinking?

 

Seriously? I will say he's not a burner, and doesn't possess elite quickness, but a TE? No way.

I've seen plenty of plays where he just flat out runs by the man covering him.

 

But does he have "NFL" speed? I'd say that's what Mac is trying to say.

 

exactly. not a heath miller TE SBD. more of a paulson then megatron. ok maybe paulson isn't a good example either. maybe more of one of those faster pass catching only TE's but LIGHT. i'm not saying I wouldn't like him on the team but not that high, I guess.

 

Evans ran a 4.54 in high school (only posted time I could find).

My guess is with some combine training, he'll probably run somewhere around a 4.5 or less. Which would give him around the same time as A.J. Green(4.5), Dez Bryant(4.52), or even Antonio Brown (4.47).

 

how about a couple of rounds later and one inch shorter la'damian Washington from mizzou that runs a 4.39. that's a guy i'd like to have added.

 

You make a good point. For the most part, I'd agree... Just if we do think that Evans can be in the mold of some of the guys I mentioned then he'd be worth it.

Right now if I had to guess I think we pick around 7-9, but obviously a lot can change. Whether or not Marcus Mariota declares will have a big impact (since 1 slot is a pretty big change, when we're talking top 10).

I want to come away with Jake Matthews, but I think that's unlikely. I want to see more of Lewan before I decide on him.

 

I do like Matthews TTF. I thought he was coming out last year but decided to go back. I like c.j. fiedorowicz too. he's a stout boy too. it's a pretty deep field at wr and TE isn't bad. overall it's a pretty deep draft at the skill spots on offense.

 

I think I've already decided on a nose tackle in the first round but now we might face the prospect of needing a qb which would obviously take precedent. I don't see any Russell Wilson stories happening any time soon ya know?

 

NT in the first would be great but it has to be Nix, because hes the only one who grades out that high. A guy I like at the position in a later round would be McCullers from Tenn. He has great size, and could be a guy in the Hampton mold (in terms of demanding double teams). Another is the Hagemann kid from Minnesota (possibly round 2?), but he is awfully tall for a 3-4 NT (6'6''). Might not be the Hampton type, but he has a great motor.

To stay on subject with the thread... I like Sammy Watkins A LOT more than I do Evans, but I think I like Watkins the most of any prospect on the board (outside of Mariota and Clowney, who we will probably not have a shot at). I like Benjamin and Washington as taller WR's almost as much as I like Evans, and they could be had in later rounds.

 

I think mclendon is doing a fine job.

 

I just think that might be the reason we are giving up so much on the ground. What do you think is the reason for it? I love MCLendon but I'm afraid he might be too small to be a run stopper.

 

You would take Clowney if we had a shot at him after we took Jones last year?

 

to me the problems of run defense are the lbs not the dline

 

But don't you guys think a 3-4 needs a huge nose tackle to clog up the middle?

 

Evans won't be drafted in the top ten he's too slow the Steelers have bigger needs than taking a receiver in the first round.

 

Absolutely. He could be the best player in the draft, regardless of position. This team needs play makers all over the field. It's not like OLB isn't a position of need either (although it isn't the BIGGEST position of need). Worilds will most likely be gone after the season, and I'd be shocked if Woodley plays past his current contract in Pittsburgh.

 

Unfortunately I disagree. McLendon isn't a bad player, he's just out of position. He is more of a DE in the 3-4 and more of a DT in the 4-3. Maybe he should be the LE when Kiesel is done?

I just think that there is a reason that we are one of the worst teams in the NFL defending the run. The NT has A LOT to do with that. Can't stop the run? No 3rd and long situations. No 3rd and long? Less turnovers. A lot of our defensive issues the past few years have been because of sub par NT play. Nix would fix that immediately