Wadsworth Alum and Carolina Panthers tight end Mitchell Evans has been graded by Pro Football Focus as the 13 best rookie in the NFL.
Evans was drafted in the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft by the Carolina Panthers with pick 163. He would sign a four-year contract with the Panthers in May.
Since then, Evans has caught 11 passes for 118 yards and two touchdowns, including a game-winning touchdown against the Miami Dolphins in week five.
“I got that game ball and I got the jersey,” Evans said about the game. “It’s a pretty surreal feeling.”
However, Evans’ pass-catching has not been the only part of his game that has been succeeding. His run blocking has been very good. In week nine, Evans ranked as the fourth-best run-blocking tight end in the NFL. However, Evans is not focused on the stats at all.
“I really don’t like looking at all of that stuff,” Evans said when asked about his PFF grade of 72.4. “It’s just kind of a distraction.”
Evans has been blocking for sixth-year running back Rico Dowdle. Dowdle has been one of the top running backs this season, running for 833 yards and five touchdowns as of week 11.
“It makes all the difference in the world to have a back like Rico,” Evans said. Chubba Hubbard has also played well as a running back behind Evans and the Panthers’ offensive line, racking up 334 yards and a touchdown while struggling with injuries.
As Evans succeeds, so do the Panthers. Currently, the Panthers are sitting at 6-5 and are battling the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for the NFC South title. The last time the Panthers had a winning season was 2017.
“I feel like everyone here is buying into the culture that we are trying to establish, and everyone is tired of losing,” Evans said.
Evans believes that the quarterback room is also a major reason for the success of the team.
“Andy [Dalton] has been in the league for 14 or 15 years now and having a former Heisman [Bryce Young] slinging the ball and manipulating the game in any way to get you the ball,” Evans said about the play of his quarterbacks.
Evans believes that being able to focus on football as a career has improved his play significantly.
“We spend a lot of time going into the details, and in college you really didn’t have the time to do that,” Evans said about being able to study the game as a professional, “Now that’s my livelihood.”
Evans will continue to play with the Panthers as they try to advance to the postseason for the first time in eight years.
