Michael Mayer was one of the best collegiate tight ends in recent memory. With his 2025 NFL Draft scouting report, could Mitchell Evans join Mayer as the latest Notre Dame TE to go off the board in the early rounds? Let’s take a closer look.
Mitchell Evans’ Draft Profile and Measurements
- Height: 6’5″
- Weight: 260 pounds
- Position: Tight End
- School: Notre Dame
- Current Year: Senior
Mayer was a tough act to follow at Notre Dame. He was an immediate producer, and eventually broke the school’s all-time receptions record for a TE, previously set by Tyler Eifert. Then, he went in Round 2 of the 2023 NFL Draft to the Las Vegas Raiders.
The task of following up Mayer was not an enviable one, but it’s one Evans took with grace as a former three-star recruit. For two years, he patiently waited his turn while providing value as a blocking TE. And then, in 2023, he took the reins.
In eight games before suffering a severe knee injury, Evans racked up 29 catches for 422 yards and a touchdown. And now, entering his senior season, he’s working his way back with the intent of catalyzing a potential leap toward CFB stardom and the 2025 NFL Draft.
Evans’ Scouting Report
Strengths
- Tall and heavy with solid length and can overmatch defenders with his play strength.
- Has good explosiveness out of his stance and enough short-area energy to offset.
- Has exceptional focus and composure when tracking passes over his shoulder.
- Able to make high-difficulty catch-point adjustments at a moment’s notice.
- Has the hand strength to secure passes and maintain possession through contact.
- Authoritatively seeks out the ball and can pry passes free from challengers in contest.
- Fairly nuanced, fluid route runner with a good understanding of leverage and spacing.
- Able to supplement vertical presses with head and eye fakes before crossing middle.
- Flashes efficient plant-and-drive footwork on short digs, separating independently.
- Knows how to stem second-level coverage defenders and can pry past with physicality.
- Has enough foot speed and hinge flexibility to chop and swivel on quick out routes.
- Has shown he can reset his feet through contact and break arm tackles for added RAC.
- Active, high-energy, and assignment-sound blocker who can climb and stack blocks.
- Has in-built alignment and usage versatility, and has experience with motion work.
- Packs a punch at contact with his raw power against second-level defenders.
Weaknesses
- Despite size, lacks elite proportional length and playmaking reach.
- Isn’t an overly dynamic athlete, with non-elite explosiveness and agility.
- Visibly lacks the high-end speed to sustain vertical separation up the seam.
- Non-elite speed can allow defenders to make up ground and blanket crossing routes.
- Lack of dynamic mobility can lead him to idle too long at stems, allowing DBs to close.
- Doesn’t have elite torso flexibility, which can limit his range when contorting for passes.
- Visibly lacks high-level bend and foot speed when attempting to correct positioning.
- At times, drifts too far upright and loses leverage and base load on pulling blocks.
- Can play tall in space and struggles to sustain moving blocks with high pad level.
- Inconsistent leverage can result in lopsided technique and nullified base load.
- Sometimes oversets and overruns blocking angles, giving opponents paths inside.
- Tore his ACL and MCL late in 2023, an injury that required surgery.
Current Draft Projection and Summary
Entering the 2025 NFL Draft cycle, Evans grades out as an early Day 3 prospect who could potentially challenge for Top 100 capital.
The biggest question surrounding Evans’ stock is how he’ll rebound from a torn ACL and MCL in 2023, but his tape brings plenty to like.
At 6’5″, 260 pounds, size and play strength are obvious play strengths of Evans’, and he brings great power and physicality as a run blocker as well. His experience as a TE2 behind Mayer helped refine his blocking skills, and in 2023, his nuance as a receiver came to light.
Though Evans isn’t as dynamic an athlete as Mayer was, he’s fluid enough to separate independently on digs and out routes, and he can work up the seam well enough with his baseline explosiveness and box-out ability.
Where Evans truly makes his money as a receiver, however, is with his hands and catching instincts. Evans has truly elite hands — as evidenced by his incredibly low drop rate — and he can not only make tough catches amidst contact, but also contort at rapid response times.
Without elite short-area agility and flexibility, there are instances where Evans gets tied up on sharper route breaks. Ultimately, his non-elite athleticism does put a cap on his ceiling. And while he’s a very good blocker, he can still improve his leverage maintenance and pad level.
Nevertheless, with his sound blocking utility, physical mentality, sure-handed nature, and fluid, nuanced separating skills as a receiver, Mitchell has the profile of a very solid TE2, who can provide two-phase and three-down value.
