The San Francisco 49ers have expressed interest in Appalachian State running back Darrynton Evans, according to Justin Melo of USA Today's Draft Wire.
Melo lists several teams as having met with Evans but does not specify if San Francisco held a virtual interview with the running back or he is referencing a previous face-to-face pre-draft meeting. We already know that the 49ers met with Evans at the NFL Scouting Combine in February, so it is possible that Melo is referencing that meeting.
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
Evans rushed for 1,480 yards and 18 touchdowns on 255 carries last year as a junior with the Mountaineers. He has recorded 2,884 rushing yards with 25 rushing touchdowns while adding 39 receptions for 319 yards and six receiving scores during his three collegiate seasons.
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At the NFL Scouting Combine, the 5-foot-10 and 203-pound Evans had a 40-time of 4.41 seconds, a vertical jump of 37 inches, a broad jump of 125 inches, and 20 reps in the bench press. Other measurables for Evans include an arm length of 31 5/8 inches and hands that measure 9 1/4 inches.
NFL.com projects Evans to be a fourth-round draft pick.
Below is the NFL.com draft profile bio on Evans:
Like many Appalachian State players before him, Evans has outplayed his two-star recruiting ranking. He was named Sun Belt Conference Offensive Player of the Year in 2019 after ranking in the top 10 nationally with 1,480 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns on 255 carries (5.8 per). He also caught 21 passes for 198 yards and five scores in 14 starts. He was named the Most Valuable Player of the SBC Championship Game and New Orleans Bowl. Evans was a first-team all-conference pick as a sophomore, as well, starting eight of 13 games played and racking up 1,187 rushing yards (179 carries, 6.6 per, seven TDs; also 12-87-7.2, one TD receiving). The Oak Hill, Florida, native contributed on offense as a freshman (48-217-4.5) and then had to redshirt the 2017 season due to a knee injury. Evans was a strong kickoff returner during his career (56-1,439-25.7 in three years), housing one return for a touchdown each season.
Lance Zierlein of NFL.com, who compares Evans to Ronald Jones, wrote the following about Evans within his scouting report:
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.
Measurables
Height: 5-10
Weight: 203 lbs.
Arm length: 31 5/8 inches
Hand length: 9 1/4 inches
NFL Scouting Combine
40-time: 4.41 seconds
Vertical: 37 inches
Broad jump: 125 inches
Bench press: 20 reps
| College Statistics | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | School | Class | G | Att | Yds | Avg | TD | ||||||||
| 2016 | Appalachian State | FR | 12 | 48 | 217 | 4.5 | -- | ||||||||
| 2018 | Appalachian State | SO | 13 | 179 | 1187 | 6.6 | 7 | ||||||||
| 2019 | Appalachian State | JR | 14 | 255 | 1480 | 5.8 | 18 | ||||||||
| Total | Appalachian State | 482 | 2884 | 6.0 | 25 | ||||||||||