On Sunday, the former Eagles safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson agreed to a surprising one-year deal with the Detroit Lions. On Monday, the Eagles made a move to add depth to their safety room which is now without Gardner-Johnson and fellow starter Marcus Epps, agreeing to terms with former Buccaneers and Saints safety Justin Evans. Evans was a promising prospect coming out of the 2017 NFL Draft but has dealt with injuries over the last several seasons that have affected his effectiveness and, more importantly, his availability.
Justin Evans Scouting Report
Justin Evans is a 26-year-old safety who played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the New Orleans Saints. He was selected by the Buccaneers in the second round of the 2017 NFL Draft after two collegiate seasons at Texas A&M. Evans signed with the Saints as a free agent in April 2022. After spending the 2019 season on injured reserve and 2020 on the physically unable to perform list, he did not play in the NFL in 2021.
In college, Evans showed great potential as a safety, making 165 tackles, 11 pass breakups, six tackles for loss, and five interceptions in 25 games for Texas A&M. He was known for his high upside, with a per snap rate of interceptions (0.30%) and pass deflections (0.61%). He had the highest percentage of combined and solo tackles per snap of all five safeties. His speed and athleticism allowed him to cover a lot of ground on the field and make plays on the ball.
In the NFL, Evans had a solid rookie season, starting in 11 games and recording 66 tackles, three pass breakups, and three interceptions. However, injuries and inconsistency limited his playing time in the following seasons. He missed a total of 20 games due to various injuries.
Overall, Justin Evans has shown the potential to be a productive safety at both the college and NFL levels. However, injuries have been a major concern, and his lack of recent playing time may affect his ability to make an impact in the NFL.
What does the Justin Evans signing mean?
This is a depth signing for the Eagles. Evans is a dart throw. He is not being brought in to replace Chauncey Gardner-Johnson or Marcus Epps and is not a lock to make the roster. This is Howie Roseman and the scouting department rolling the dice on a former promising prospect who has had his career derailed by injuries.
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