Mark Evans II

American football player (born 1999)

American football player

Mark Evans II

No. 68 – New Orleans Saints

Position:

Offensive tackle

Personal information

Born:

(1999-10-11) October 11, 1999 (age 24)
St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.

Height:

6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)

Weight:

295 lb (134 kg)

Career information

High school:

C.E. King High School (Houston, Texas)

College:

Arkansas–Pine Bluff (2018–2022)

Undrafted:

2023

Career history

New Orleans Saints (2023–present)*

* Offseason and/or practice squad member only

Roster status:

Active

Career highlights and awards

4x First-team All-SWAC (2019, 2020, 2021, 2022)
Phil Steele FCS Offensive Lineman of the Year Award (2022)
Willie Roaf Award (2021)

Career NFL statistics

Player stats at NFL.com · PFR

Mark Evans II (born October 11, 1999) is an American football offensive tackle for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for Arkansas–Pine Bluff.

Early years

Evans was not allowed to play football growing up due to weight restrictions, so he did not begin playing until the seventh grade.^[1] Instead, he began boxing until he was able to start playing football.^[2]

Evans initially committed to play football at Navarro College, though later was recruited to play at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff.^[3]

College career

Evans committed to play college football at Arkansas–Pine Bluff.^[1] As a freshman, he played in nine games, and during his sophomore season, he started in all eleven games at left tackle, contributing to an offensive line that allowed the second-lowest amount of sacks in the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC).^[4] Although the 2020 season was postponed, Evans played with Arkansas–Pine Bluff at SWAC championship game against Alabama A&M in 2021. he played as a redshirt junior, where he allowed one sack and won the Willie Roaf Award, which honors Arkansas's top offensive linemen.^[5]^[6]

During his senior year, he started in nine games as part of an offensive line unit dubbed ‘The Moving Crew' and only allowed two sacks.^[1]^[7]

Evans participated in the East-West Shrine Bowl, the HBCU Legacy Bowl, and the NFL Combine. He was the first Arkansas-Pine Bluff player to be invited to the combine since Terron Armstead in 2013.^[3]

Professional career

Pre-draft measurables
Height	Weight	Arm length	Hand span	40-yard dash	10-yard split	20-yard split	20-yard shuttle	Three-cone drill	Vertical jump	Broad jump	Bench press
6 ft 2+1⁄2 in (1.89 m)	303 lb (137 kg)	32+3⁄8 in (0.82 m)	10+3⁄8 in (0.26 m)	5.44 s	1.90 s	3.06 s	4.77 s	7.71 s	26.5 in (0.67 m)	8 ft 6 in (2.59 m)	21 reps
All values from NFL Combine/Pro Day^[8]^[9]

On April 30, 2023, Evans signed with the New Orleans Saints as an undrafted free agent.^[10] Evans was waived by the Saints on August 29, 2023.^[11] He signed to the Saints practice squad the next day.^[12] On September 4, 2023, Evans was waived before being re-signed to the practice squad on September 27.^[12] Following the end of the 2023 regular season, the Saints signed him to a reserve/future contract on January 8, 2024.^[13]

Personal life

Evans has a younger brother Jessie, who plays linebacker at Prairie View A&M.^[1]

After Hurricane Harvey destroyed his family's home in 2017, he was temporarily homeless and eventually lived with four other people in a one-bedroom apartment during his senior year of high school.^[1]^[3]^[14]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Bible, The NFL Draft (2023-03-25). "NFL Draft Profile: Mark Evans II, Offensive Lineman, Arkansas-Pine Bluff Golden Lions". Visit NFL Draft on Sports Illustrated, the latest news coverage, with rankings for NFL Draft prospects, College Football, Dynasty and Devy Fantasy Football. Archived from the original on 2023-12-22. Retrieved 2023-12-22.
^ "Mark Evans II, OL, UAPB | NFL Draft Scouting Report". 2023-04-05. Archived from the original on 2023-04-30. Retrieved 2023-12-22.
^ ^a ^b ^c Hooks, Kalan (2023-01-19). "Past adversity drives Arkansas-Pine Bluff's Mark Evans II toward NFL draft". Andscape. Archived from the original on 2023-04-01. Retrieved 2023-12-22.
^ "Mark Evans II - Football". UA Pine Bluff Athletics. Archived from the original on 2022-08-29. Retrieved 2023-12-22.
^ Mosley, Kyle T. (2023-04-23). "Mark Evans II On Mentorship of Former Saints Willie Roaf, Terron Armstead". Sports Illustrated New Orleans Saints News, Analysis and More. Archived from the original on 2023-12-22. Retrieved 2023-12-22.
^ Mosley, Kyle T. (2022-01-15). "UAPB Offensive Lineman Mark Evans II Receives Willie Roaf Award". HBCU Legends. Archived from the original on 2023-02-26. Retrieved 2023-12-22.
^ "#UAPBFootball Evans Named Phil Steele FCS Offensive Lineman Of The Year; First Team All-American". UA Pine Bluff Athletics. Archived from the original on 2023-12-22. Retrieved 2023-12-22.
^ "Mark Evans II Draft and Combine Prospect Profile". NFL.com. Retrieved December 22, 2023.
^ "2023 NFL Draft Scout Mark Evans II College Football Profile". DraftScout.com. Retrieved January 31, 2024.
^ "UAPB's Mark Evans II signs free-agent deal with New Orleans | Arkansas Democrat Gazette". www.arkansasonline.com. 2023-04-29. Archived from the original on 2023-12-22. Retrieved 2023-12-22.
^ "Instant analysis on every New Orleans Saints move at roster cuts deadline". Saints Wire. 2023-08-29. Archived from the original on 2023-12-22. Retrieved 2023-12-22.
^ ^a ^b "Saints Player Transactions | New Orleans Saints | NewOrleansSaints.com". www.neworleanssaints.com. Archived from the original on 2023-12-15. Retrieved 2023-12-22.
^ "New Orleans Saints sign 11 to reserve/future contracts". NewOrleansSaints.com. January 8, 2024. Retrieved January 9, 2024.
^ Gaither, Steven J. (2023-05-09). "New Orleans Saints rookie goes from homeless to top-paid UDFA". HBCU Gameday. Archived from the original on 2023-12-22. Retrieved 2023-12-22.