The Los Angeles Rams went into the draft this year with no specialists on the roster. No punter, no kicker and no long snapper. With one of their 14 picks, they addressed the punter spot by selecting Ethan Evans, a lesser-known player out of Wingate University.
Evans was known for his powerful leg and through two preseason games, he hasn’t disappointed. Those 770-pound deadlifts are paying off because he’s hit some booming punts this summer.
While it hasn’t been a perfect preseason performance from the rookie, he has been one of the best punters in the league so far – at least according to Pro Football Focus.
PFF has given Evans a 79.6 punting grade this preseason, which is second-best at his position. The only punter with a better punting grade is former Ram, Corey Bojorquez, who’s at 89.3.
Evans ranks first in total punt yards (696), second in yards per punt (53.5), fourth with a long of 65 yards and second with five punts downed inside the 20. Those numbers are impressive and show just how much potential he has.
However, there is one area where Evans can improve, and it’s an important one: hangtime. According to PFF, Evans ranks 19th in average hangtime (4.43 seconds). For comparison, JK Scott leads the league this preseason with an average hangtime of 4.85 seconds.
At times, Evans appears to outkick his coverage, in part because he’s kicked some low line drives rather than high, hanging punts that allow his coverage unit to get down the field. He’s obviously getting more distance by botting those driving punts, but the returners often have a lot of space around them to return it.
It’s a big reason Evans and the Rams have allowed a league-high 181 return yards, an average of 22.6. Derius Davis returning a punt 81 yards for a touchdown in the preseason opener inflates that average, but even without that return, the Rams have allowed 100 yards return yards. That would still be the most of any punter, with Jamie Gillan of the Giants ranking second with 97 return yards allowed.
As such, Evans’ net average is 36.5 yards per punt, which is seventh-worst among all punters this preseason. That’s not entirely his fault, but the consistent returns against the Rams, along with his two touchbacks, haven’t helped the cause. The coverage as a whole could be a lot better, and should be once the regular season begins and the Rams have a consistent unit out there on the field.
Evans has a ton of upside in the NFL and the Rams should be excited by what they’ve seen. He’s only a rookie who’s played two preseason games, so there’s plenty of time for him to improve his hangtime. His directional kicking has been very good, too, angling several of his punts toward the sideline to limit the space a returner has – or preventing a return altogether.
The Rams’ seventh-round rookie has gotten off to a good start this summer and should only continue to get better.
