Evans' Education Included Study of Titans' Scheme

Third-round draft pick arrives with more than just a passing knowledge of the offense

Third-round pick Darrynton Evans already has an idea of what to expect of the Tennessee Titans offense.

The running back out of actually studied the Titans’ scheme during his senior year at Appalachian State. In an effort to enhance and improve their own offense, Mountaineers players and coaches take a deep dive each year into an NFL offense.

“I don’t think there will be much teaching because he understands it,” coach Shawn Clark told The Athletic.

During his time at Appalachian State, Evans compiled 482 carries for 2,884 yards and 25 touchdowns. As a receiver, he caught 39 passes for 319 yards and six touchdowns. And he never fumbled.

According NFL.com’s pre-draft profile, Evans is a smooth runner who can change directions on a dime. While his receiving numbers in college weren’t high, he has the ability to make an impact in the screen game.

Clark told The Athletic that Evans’ speed in space makes him dangerous, and defense had a hard time covering him.

“We could have him in the backfield, shift to empty and put a linebacker on him,” Clark, who was the school’s offensive coordinator before he was promoted to head coach, said. “It didn’t matter whether it was Penn State, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina or Coastal Carolina. It was the same result. Those guys couldn’t cover him in space.”

Evans spoke confidently of his abilities and knowledge of the Titans’ offense during his post-draft press conference, saying he hopes to be a nice compliment to star running back Derrick Henry.

“Yeah, it’s a lot of similarities,” he said. “At App (State), we did inside and outside zone so that’s kind of something I’ve gotten accustomed to over the last four years. So, it’s something that I’m used to and I’m comfortable with.

“Really now it’s just learning the terms and everything with the Titans, and getting to work. That’s never really been a problem, running inside and outside zone, especially with the offensive line that they have with Derrick (Henry) running through the holes and getting through there. I feel like I can help take the load off Derrick a little bit, and then add my own little twist to the game as well.”