| 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 | |
| |
| * Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |
| Roster status: | Active |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
| Player stats at 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.
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]
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]
| 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 ft2+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]
Evans has a younger brother Jessie, who plays linebackeratPrairie 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]
