SEC 2023 NFL Draft Preview: Ole Miss RB Zach Evans

One of the nation’s top running backs out of high school, Zach Evans enters the 2023 NFL Draft as a projected top pick at the running back position after his 2022 season with the Rebels. Where will the Ole Miss junior now be selected after his lone season in Oxford?

SEC 2023 NFL Draft Preview: Ole Miss RB Zach Evans

A former five-star prospect from the 2020 class out of North Shore High School in Texas, Evans did not originally begin his collegiate career at Ole Miss, but rather at TCU in the Big 12.

Across two seasons with the Horned Frogs, Evans would rush for a combined 1,063 yards and nine touchdowns on 146 attempts, while also having 18 receptions for 206 yards and another score. Evans would then however transfer to Ole Miss prior to the 2022 season beginning, with the former five-star going on to play a key role for the Rebels a year ago.

As to what that season looked like, Evans would rush for 936 yards and nine touchdowns on 144 attempts, while also catching 12 passes for 119 yards and a score. Also leading the SEC with an average of 6.5 YPA, Evans would declare for the 2023 NFL Draft at seasons end, bringing an end to a collegiate career that included 1,999 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns on 290 attempts from 2020-22.

Strengths

One of the top running backs available in the 2023 NFL Draft, Evans has almost everything that you would want for a player at the position. Of those tools, arguably Evans’ most notable is his speed, as the Ole Miss junior is one of the fastest running backs in this draft, recently clocking a 4.45u 40 at the Rebels pro day.

Evans also wins with his agility in the open field, and has shown he is one of college football’s best  when it comes to gaining yards per rushing attempt, having averaged 6.9 YPA for his TCU and Ole Miss careers combined. While the receiving numbers aren’t as eye-opening as some of the other running backs in this draft, Evans is also a solid receiver out of the backfield as well.

Question Marks

As mentioned previously, Evans is already a solid receiver out of the backfield, but will still likely need to continue improving in that area as he makes the move to the professional game. If that happens, then Evans could be a legit three-down back very quickly in the NFL, if he isn’t one already.

Potential Draft Range

As with recent drafts, there are few running backs, if any, who are selected within the first round, meaning that the run on the position starts in the second. Because of this, Evans is a name to watch for in the second round, with it unlikely that the Ole Miss running back falls past the third round as well.

Draft Prediction

Evans will be selected in the late-second or early-third round of the 2023 NFL Draft.