Notre Dame tight end Mitchell Evans is facing Ohio State in the College Football Playoff National Championship tonight, giving him another chance to help his NFL Draft stock.
After a strong season, Evans is widely regarded as one of the top tight ends in the 2025 NFL Draft. Let’s examine his scouting report, Mock Draft Simulator trends, and where he went in our latest mock draft.
Mitchell Evans Scouting Report
- 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, as a senior, he caught 39 passs for 369 yards and three touchdowns.
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.
Latest 2025 NFL Mock Draft Projection
Evans’ current ADP in Pro Football Network’s Mock Draft Simulator is 97.0.
Users controlling the New York Jets are selecting him with 1% of their draft picks. The next highest percentage of selections for Evans are 0.9% of Philadelphia Eagles’ users.
Here is how Evans’ ADP data has changed over time:
In PFN’s latest seven-round 2025 NFL mock draft, Evans is projected to go No. 146 overall to the Washington Commanders.
While Zach Ertz has turned back the clock this season and developed a strong connection with quarterback Jayden Daniels, it’s worth noting that he is 34 years old, so the Commanders will need to find his heir apparent sooner than later.
