2022 Chiefs Draft Prospect: Akayleb Evans

Athleticism

There is a sort of tenacity that Evans displays within his click and close ability. He fires downhill with a quick trigger, that allows him to get in and out of breaks smoother than some other cornerbacks. Elsewhere, Evans is fluid enough to flip his hips and carry routes down the field. There are times where he can get a bit too high in coverage. Additionally, Evans may need to improve on sinking his hips more often against shorter routes. He makes up for it by possessing the necessary long speed to recover and defend against deep routes or horizontal routes, however.

Coverage Skills

There is probably more upside for Evans in man coverage, as things currently stand. We alluded to his comfort and determination within press man coverage reps earlier. He is simply disruptive and irritable to opposing receivers in those moments. This is largely due to his hand technique, length and underrated strength. In off-man coverage, Evans does a fine job of staying on top of routes and remains patient against any possible fakes or double moves by pass catchers.

As a zone coverage corner, his ability to play trail technique and with a half-turn technique make it possible for him to make stops in many areas. He is more successful against routes that are in the flats. In those moments, Evans does well to trigger downhill and process the play with astute processing speed. He has enough speed to handle playing an entire deep third, if need be.

Football IQ

The ability to focus squarely on his man or role is what will give Evans a smoother transition to playing one of the most difficult positions in today’s NFL. Yet, there are still a few items that must be refined throughout the early portion of his professional career.

Better body positioning and more consistent recognition of landmarks on the field will likely make his game more well-rounded. That is especially true when you look at his results against quick passes or passes to the intermediate area of the field. Finally, Evans anticipation can be hit or miss, depending on the kind of coverage that he is in. Being much earlier with his reactions will likely lead to more productive results.

Tackling

There is a significant willingness that Evans showed in this area, compared to other defensive backs. He can lay quite a boom if he is able to square up his target. Mainly, there is just a couple of tackling form issues that could be ironed out. Evans can sometimes fail to take proper angles when looking to make stops in space. Furthermore, the cornerback will have to lower his strike zone when attempting to wrap up a ball carrier or wide receiver.

Versatility

This defender did see matchup specific assignments in the slot on occasion at Missouri. However, Evans is likely more suited to remain as an outside cornerback only. He also provides more questions than answers right now, in terms of scheme diversity. Being part of a defense that uses more aggressive blitzes and multiple fronts may be what is best for him. Consequently, the more man coverage reps that Evans sees, the more beneficial the results may be for his team.

CHIEFS FIT

The Kansas City Chiefs are in need of adding more talent at the cornerback position. After losing Charvarius Ward and Mike Hughes in free agency, the defense will have to replace two defenders who played a fair amount of snaps last season. Akayleb Evans will still need time to develop. But, the confidence and play style that he has is similar to what the Chiefs have been drawn to at the position recently. His length speaks for itself. Moreover, Evans is not afraid to be physical, is comfortable in press man coverage and has the athleticism that aligns with Kansas City’s changes this offseason. Allowing him to learn from L’Jarius Sneed, Rashad Fenton and another possible veteran free agent addition would do wonders for a slightly raw cornerback.

Be on the lookout for more FPC Chiefs draft prospect profiles throughout this spring. For more great sports and NFL content, stay tuned to Full Press Coverage.