Chris Evans

The idea of Chris Evans as a pass-catching third-down back in the NFL has always been stronger than his actual performance, a game-winning touchdown in the Bengals' regular season game against the Chiefs notwithstanding. Evans was frequently a healthy scratch and rarely saw the field on offense in 2022, falling behind Joe Mixon, Samaje Perine and Trayveon Williams on the depth chart. Perine is off to Denver, but the Bengals drafted Chase Brown, who will presumably slot ahead of Evans this season.

Evans was a trendy late-round lottery ticket last season due to his pass-catching ability and Joe Mixon's perceived lack of prowess catching passes. It didn't really materialize that way, as Mixon frequently was on the field for all three downs and Samaje Perine was on when Mixon was off. Evans showed flashes here and there, but it's not a given that he'll have a big role even in the event of a Mixon injury.

The Bengals selected Evans, a 5-11, 211-pound running back from Michigan, in the sixth round with the 202nd pick in the 2021 draft. Evans is both old for a rookie, turning 24 in October, yet lacking recent experience. He sat out 2019 for academic reasons, and then barely played as a fifth-year senior in 2020, netting 73 yards on 16 carries. He was more active in his earlier seasons, and stood out on that tape, giving draft evaluators a reason to put him on their boards. He then managed to stick on Cincinnati's initial 53-man roster, starting off as the No. 3 back behind Joe Mixon and Samaje Perine.