Listen, it's hard to be overshadowed if you're a first-round pick in the 2014 NFL Draft.
On Thursday, at least, former Texas A&M receiver Mike Evans was swallowed up by Manziel Mania. While most of the focus from media and fans centered on who was throwing the ball at Texas A&M's second pro day, one of the receivers catching it turned a few heads as well.
NFL Media analyst Gil Brandt has been around the game of football for a long time and has seen a lot of receivers enter the draft, so he's not making that comment lightly. Evans is generally considered the second-best receiver in the draft behind Clemson's Sammy Watkins, but it's clear the former Aggie has plenty of momentum behind him to push him into the conversation for the top spot.
Evans (6-foot-5, 231 pounds) led the SEC in touchdowns last year as he presented a nightmare matchup issue for teams with his size and speed. In the latest NFL.com mock drafts, Evans has been slotted anywhere from ninth overall to the Bills to the Giants at No. 12. The Lions have also expressed serious interest in the pass-catcher as well.
Fellow analyst and former NFL scout Daniel Jeremiah even remarked on "Path to the Draft" on Wednesday it will be Evans who posts the better numbers between the two in their rookie year. Double-digit touchdowns? That has to be appealing for a team looking for a big red-zone threat.
It's clear most of the crowd in College Station was there to see Manziel throw, but Evans certainly had a good enough workout to solidify himself as a top 10 pick. We're sure a few quarterbacks around the league sent a text to their general manager saying they would be delighted to throw to Evans in the future after watching him run routes on NFL Network.
Follow Bryan Fischer on Twitter @BryanDFischer.
