The Tennessee Titans might have found the perfect complement to star running back Derrick Henry in third-round pick and Appalachian State product, Darrynton Evans.
Here are three things to know about the running back and one of the newest Titans players.
An impressive senior season
Evans had himself a sensational senior season with Appalachian State. The running back finished with career-highs in rushing yards (1,480) and rushing touchdowns (18) in 2019.
For his efforts, Evans was named the Sun Belt Conference’s Offensive Player of the Year, which culminated a two-year run in which he totaled over 1,000 rushing yards each.
A combine star
Evans saw his stock rise during the 2020 NFL Combine, partly because he posted the second-fastest 40-yard dash time among running backs, coming in at 4.41 seconds. His speed makes him an ideal complement to Derrick Henry.
Adding to that impressive mark, Evans also notched 37 inches on his vertical leap, 10.5 feet on his broad jump and put up 20 reps on the 225-pound bench press.
“I thought I did good on everything,” Evans said, per Chris Hays of the Orlando Sentinel. “I felt like it just solidified the fact that I can compete with anybody and they can stop talking about the small school, big school stuff.”
His combine performance easily helped him move up from being a Day 3 pick into Day 2 consideration.
Versatility
Evans isn’t just a one-trick pony and can be an asset to the Titans in multiple ways.
The Appalachian State product was active in the passing game last season, finishing with 21 catches for 198 yards (9.5 yards per reception) and five scores, all career-highs.
On top of that, Evans was an electric returner. In 56 career kickoff returns, Evans averaged 25.7 yards per attempt and found paydirt three times.
