Healthy Rashaan Evans explains why he won't play in Senior Bowl
Key storylines: Big Crimson Tide recruiting weekend
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Rashaan Evans is fine. In fact, he’s never been better.
Despite being a late scratch for this week’s Senior Bowl, the Alabama linebacker isn’t recovering from any knocks he picked up from the Crimson Tide’s national title run. Instead, he’s readying himself for the future where he plans to be a first-round pick in next year’s NFL Draft.
“Health-wise, I’m as healthy as I’ve ever been,” Evans said during Alabama's national championship celebration Saturday. “It was a decision for me, man, I just wanted to focus on the combine and shock some people at the combine.”
While he’s healthy now, Evan’s senior season didn’t come without an injury setback. The 6-foot-3, 234-pound linebacker suffered a groin injury during Alabama’s season-opening victory over Florida State. Despite only missing two games, Evans said the injury hampered him until early October.
Evans explained his decision to withdraw from the Senior Bowl, stating he thought about playing in the game “for a long time” until deciding against it. Ultimately, he felt he had nothing left to prove on the field.
“I actually was going to play in there, but then I realized, man, I put four years of good football, man, and I just wanted to leave it at that and just kind of let the cards lay where they may,” Evans said. “I just wanted to get ready for this combine, and once I’ve been doing all my grinding and all that stuff that I have been, I just want to put it all together at the combine.”
Evans finished last season tied for the team lead in tackles with 74, including a team-leading 13 tackles for a loss. He finished second with six sacks and also recorded seven quarterback hurries and a forced fumble.
While Evans’ productivity on the field is well documented, he will now turn his attention toward proving to NFL scouts that he can take his game to the next level. For him, that starts with putting up a good time in the 40-yard dash.
“I feel like that’s the No. 1 thing for me,” Evans said. “If I do a good 40 I feel like that will make a big difference in my draft.”
Evans said he doesn’t have a specific time he’s aiming for, stating instead that he just wants to run “the fastest 40 I can possibly run.” The NFL Combine will be held from April 26-28 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. projected Evans to be selected with the No. 28 overall pick by the Pittsburgh Steelers in his first mock draft which was released last week. It is one of several mock drafts that project the Alabama linebacker to be selected in the first round of this year’s NFL draft.
“He can play inside, he can get after the quarterback, you can move him to the outside in those pass-rush situations,” Kiper said during a teleconference last week. “I think Evans is a guy who, if he’s there with Pittsburgh’s selection at 28, would be a heck of a choice.”