A rare in-season Sunday afternoon game takes place in the SWAC this weekend and is headlined by Arkansas-Pine Bluff tackle Mark Evans II.
Alabama A&M faces off against Arkansas-Pine Bluff in an important contest for the A&M Bulldogs, who are trying to remain within striking distance of Jackson State, leaders of the Eastern division in the conference.
For the Golden Lions of Pine Bluff, it’s a chance for everyone to watch their 2023 NFL Draft prospect at left tackle, Mark Evans II.
Arkansas-Pine Bluff OT Mark Evans II Is a Name To Know for the 2023 NFL Draft
It was almost 10 years ago when a little-known left tackle from Arkansas-Pine Bluff named Terron Armstead blew scouts away with three days of dominant practice at the 2013 Shrine Bowl. Armstead was so good that he received a late invite to the Senior Bowl the following week.
Later that year, Armstead became the third-round pick of the New Orleans Saints, and he would become a three-time Pro Bowler before signing a massive contract with the Miami Dolphins in free agency this past March.
The record shows Armstead as the last player from Arkansas-Pine Bluff to be selected in the NFL draft, but you know what they say about records.
Enter Mark Evans II, a four-year starter who was awarded All-Conference honors the past two seasons. The tape on Evans is enticing; he’s a mobile, athletic left tackle with next-level footwork and the ability to get off the edge and stop speed rushers dead in their tracks.
Fundamentally sound, Evans blocks with great leverage and uses his hands exceptionally well to control opponents at the point of attack. He moves extremely well and easily gets to the second level or out into space, and he annihilates defenders blocking in motion.
Evans also shows outstanding football intellect and transfers his classroom intelligence — he’s already received his undergraduate degree and is enrolled in graduate studies at UAPB — onto the football field.
If there’s one red flag in Evans’ game, it would be size, as he measures under 6’3″ and barely tips the scales at 300 pounds. It’s the prime reason I have Evans on my guard board rather than listing him as an offensive tackle.
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Evans has already accepted an invitation to participate in the HBCU Legacy Bowl in February 2023. I fully expect to see Evans participate in either the Shrine Bowl or Senior Bowl, just like Armstead.
Could Evans make a big move up draft boards as Armstead did in 2013? It’s not out of the question. He already holds a fifth-round grade on my board, and I fully expect Evans to be talked about as one of the better zone-blocking guards available in the 2023 NFL Draft.