Former UCLA wide receiver Shaquelle Evans is going to the New York Jets after being selected with the 115th overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft. In a conversation with the Daily Bruin, Evans described his selection in the fourth round as surreal.
“It’s something you’ve been thinking about and dreaming about your whole life. And it finally comes true, it’s just an indescribable feeling,” Evans said an hour after being drafted.
Considered by many outlets to be a fifth- or sixth-round prospect, Evans felt that his strong showings at the Senior Bowl, NFL Combine interviews and his Pro Day vaulted him to the third- or fourth-round status.
“When the fourth round came, I knew that someone in there was probably going to end up picking me up”, Evans said. “I was just waiting for that call, and thank God that it came.”
While the Bruins’ leading receiving yardage man notched just 709 yards on the season for UCLA’s spread offense, he led the team with nine receiving touchdowns. He seemed to be quarterback Brett Hundley’s favorite target down the field, with Evans appearing to be the receiver who heard his name called most often on back-shoulder throws.
Evans assessed that one of his distinguishing abilities at UCLA was to beating single coverage in timely situations.
“I just feel like that I could beat man-to-man coverage consistently,” Evans said. “Especially on third downs … I feel like I converted a lot on third down for Brett (Hundley), so I think that’s what separated me from a lot of receivers.
“In the NFL you need to beat man-to-man coverage to be successful.”
With a Pac-12 title game on the line in the game against Arizona State, Hundley went to the Notre Dame transfer on fourth and five for a 15-yard completion, though the Bruins lost when the drive eventually stalled.
And though not regarded as a particularly speedy receiver, Evans can count himself among the team’s few trusted deep threats: He scored on a 66-yard bomb on the offense’s first play against Arizona, and ended his college career with a 59-yard touchdown during the Sun Bowl.
Compiled by Emilio Ronquillo, Bruin Sports senior staff.