There are no shortage of needs for the Chicago Bears, particularly on the offensive side of the ball. While positions like offensive line, tight end and quarterback will draw most of the attention, you can’t ignore needs like running back and wide receiver.
The Bears are certainly doing their homework, as they were among a handful of teams that have met with Appalachian State running back Darrynton Evans during the pre-draft process, according to Draft Wire’s Justin Melo.
Full list of Darrynton Evans meetings.#Colts, #Titans, #Cardinals, #Bills, #Chargers, #Falcons, #Saints, #Jags, #Jets, #Bears, #Eagles, #Cowboys, #Texans, #49ers, #Broncos, #Lions, #Panthers, #Bucs, #Browns, #Steelers, #Chiefs, #Dolphins, #Giants, #Rams, #Ravens, #Browns.
— Justin M (@JustinM_NFL) April 21, 2020
It’s no secret that the Bears run game was abysmal — and a big part of the reason why Chicago’s offense sputtered last season. There’s been a renewed focus to correct the run game, so say the Bears, but they can’t ignore that there’s no solid backup for starter David Montgomery.
Tarik Cohen will be listed as the No. 2 back, but he’s a gadget player. Cohen isn’t someone that could take over for Montgomery should he go down with an injury. While everyone’s hopeful for preseason stud Ryan Nall, the Bears don’t know that they can depend on him to be a dependable three-down back should the situation call for it.
Which is why general manager Ryan Pace needs to address running back in this draft. And maybe Evans is the answer for the Bears. Evans is a versatile back that has the traits to be a three-down back in the NFL, and a nice complement to Montgomery.
In 2019, Evans rushed for 1,480 yards and 18 touchdowns on 255 carries last year with the Mountaineers. For his career, Evans rushed for 2,884 rushing yards with 25 rushing touchdowns along with 39 receptions for 319 yards and six receiving touchdowns in three collegiate seasons.
Here’s what NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein had to say about Evans in his evaluation:
Slashing outside-zone runner with glide in his stride and ability to run with elusiveness and creativity. Evans is a little undersized and might be viewed as a change-of-pace option, but he appears to have the three-down skill set to handle committee carries. He can run with patience, but has the loose hips and agile feet to plant-and-go in a hurry. He sees the field and does a nice job of setting up and eluding tacklers with lateral cuts or stacked moves. While he’s confident in space, Evans lacks the commitment and finishing force to make a living inside the tackles. His third-down and kick-return versatility increases the likelihood that Evans will hear his name called in the middle rounds with a chance to become a solid RB2.
Zierlein projects Evans to go in the fourth round. While the Bears don’t currently have a fourth-round selection — they traded that for quarterback Nick Foles — you figure the Bears would be interested in Evans should he happen to fall to the fifth round, where they own pick 163.
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