A whopping 98 underclassmen decided to forgo their remaining eligibility and declare for the 2014 NFL Draft. Some are locks to be drafted, but others will soon learn that they could have benefitted from another year of college ball.
One of those players who should have stayed in school, according to NFL.com’s Gil Brandt, is Texas A&M receiver Mike Evans. Brandt, a long-time scout and talent evaluator with the Dallas Cowboys, was critical of Evans’ route-running.
“He often pushes off on his defender and gains a big advantage with offensive pass interference. I can see why he didn’t want to stay – for one thing, he’s losing a great quarterback (Johnny Manziel) to the draft – but I really believe that staying and improving his route-running and understanding of the passing game would’ve made him an even better player than he already is,” Brandt wrote.
The 6-foot-5, 225-pound Evans would be just a redshirt junior next season, but he is coming off a season in which he had 1,394 receiving yards and had 200-yard games against both Alabama and Auburn. The wide receiver class is extremely deep this year, so that could also potentially impact where Evans is selected.
Other players who, according to Brandt, declared for the draft too early are USC defensive back Dion Bailey, Wyoming quarterback Brett Smith, Colorado wide receiver Paul Richardson and Florida State running back James Wilder Jr.
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