The Baltimore Ravens, earlier today, announced the signing of 22 undrafted free agents. All of them face very long odds of making the roster, but one of those 22, University of Iowa defensive lineman Joe Evans, has a track record of beating the odds.
Evans, who projects as an OLB at the next level, was one of 10 semifinalists for the Burlsworth Trophy, an award presented to the most outstanding college football who began his career as a walk-on. Past winners include Hunter Renfrow and Baker Mayfield (twice).
It is named for Brandon Burlsworth, an OL who walked on at Arkansas after receiving zero Division 1 offers. He went on to become an All-American and later the Indianapolis Colts’ 63rd overall pick in the 1999 NFL Draft.
The Ames, Iowa native didn’t win the award, which instead went to Cody Schrader (Missouri), who signed an UDFA deal with the San Francisco 49ers.
However, Evans had an elite college career in his own right. His journey embodies the hip-hop catchphrase “started from the bottom, now we’re here.”
He came to the Hawkeyes as a walk-on in the fall of 2018 and changed positions from linebacker to defensive end. In 2019, Evans found his way onto the field as a pass rusher, finishing the season with four sacks.
He played in every game for Iowa in 2020 and 2021 and tied for the team lead in sacks during his third season in Iowa City.
In 2022, he made second-team All-Big Ten honors, and in 2023, his teammates voted him a team captain. He would go on to lead Iowa with 9.5 sacks, ten quarterback pressures, and 13.5 tackles for loss. He was essentially the top pass rusher on one of the country’s most elite defenses. He ended his Hawkeyes career fourth all-time in program history for sacks.
If he could find a way to stick with the Ravens, it would be as a special teams player and/or reserve OLB who only sees action on pass-rushing downs. While the chances of that happening are slim, Evans has already shown the ability to beat expectations.
