Titans trade up to draft Rashaan Evans

The Tennessee Titans selected linebacker Rashaan Evans out of Alabama with the 22nd pick in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft after trading up from No. 25 with the Baltimore Ravens.

Evans was a one-year starter at Alabama, playing an inside linebacker role while also contributing as a pass-rusher. He could play at inside or outside linebacker in the Titans' 3-4 system.

The 21-year-old was the fourth linebacker drafted Thursday and the third player drafted out of Alabama.

Rashaan Evans Bio

Position: LB
School: Alabama
College Experience: Senior
Height: 6-2
Weight: 232 lbs

Strengths

• Adept at shedding and evading blocks at the second level in run defense.
• Plays like a heat-seeking missile; once he diagnoses a play, he's quick to attack and tackle.
• Classic Alabama linebacker; smart defender who understands his role in every play/alignment.
• Dangerous blitzer; can shoot the A-gap to disrupt quarterback's vision or beat tackles around the edge with a smooth spin move.
• Productive college career; made a number of tackles at or behind the line of scrimmage.

Weaknesses

• Aggressive style can lead to over-pursuing ball-carriers.
• Did not test like an explosive athlete at the NFL combine/Alabama pro day.
• Needs to work on his coverage skills; can be slow to diagnose when playing zone.
• Misses too many tackles, especially in pass defense.
• Some durability concerns; battled and played through injuries during his college career.

Athletic testing