The 2025 NFL draft may be a ways off, but the college football season is now on the horizon, and with that, PFF picked out one player on offense that Colts fans should keep their eyes on this season: Notre Dame tight end Mitchell Evans.
“Indianapolis’ next offensive addition should come at tight end,” wrote Trevor Sikkema. “Notre Dame’s Mitchell Evans will look to continue the long NFL tight end lineage the program has set up, and although he doesn’t appear to be as athletic as Michael Mayer or Cole Kmet, he is close and brings in impressive contested catches over the middle as a reliable first-down option.”
Listed at 6-5 – 260 pounds, Evans was putting together a breakout season in 2023 as a receiving threat in the Notre Dame offense. Through eight games, Evans caught 29 of his 40 passes for 422 yards and one touchdown.
Among all tight ends, Evans ranked seventh in PFF’s receiving grade, sixth in yards per route run, and 20th in yards per catch. Unfortunately, he would suffer a season-ending ACL injury against Pittsburgh.
During Evans’ first two seasons, he had just nine targets and was primarily utilized as a blocker. This past year, however, in addition to getting more pass-catching opportunities, Evans saw nearly 50 percent of his snaps come lined up in the slot.
For more on Evans, here is what Pro Football Network’s Ian Cummings wrote in his pre-draft report:
“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.”
Tight end very well could be a top priority for GM Chris Ballard in next year’s draft. As of now, both Mo Alie-Cox and Kylen Granson are set to be free agents next offseason, while Jelani Woods and Drew Ogletree will be entering the final year of their rookie deals at that point.
There is the potential for Woods to thrive in Shane Steichen’s RPO-heavy offense, and now fully healthy, he is out to prove that he can play a key role offensively. But at this time, that still remains to be seen.
The Colts have invested into this position through the draft but haven’t had that go-to option at tight end. Instead, Ballard has built a unit that collectively has a diverse group of skill sets.
Last season under Steichen, two tight end sets were the Colts’ second most utilized personnel package.
