Latest news with #JahriEvans
USA Today
05-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
PFF argues the Saints got it wrong with one of the greatest draft classes of all time
PFF argues the Saints got it wrong with one of the greatest draft classes of all time Now here's a fun thought exercise. Pro Football Focus analysts Max Chadwick, Dalton Wasserman, and Trevor Sikkema spun the clock back 20 years and ran a do-over of the 2006 NFL draft, and they argue the New Orleans Saints got it wrong in one of the greatest draft classes of all time. At least with the benefit of hindsight. Instead of drafting Heisman Trophy winner and superstar USC Trojans running back Reggie Bush second overall, they went with one of Bush's teammates. Bush himself wasn't taken in the first round at all, but several other Saints draft picks vaulted to the top of the charts. Jahri Evans Here's one good example. In reality, Jahri Evans was picked by the Saints in the fourth round, at No. 108 (an experience the Pro Football Hall of Fame finalist uses to encourage other players picked on the draft's final day). But in their 2006 draft redo, PFF has New Orleans taking him second overall: Had the Saints known that Jahri Evans would become one of the best guards in the NFL for a decade, they likely would've selected him long before the fourth round. Evans' 93.4 PFF overall grade across his first four seasons ranked third among all guards. He went on to provide the Saints with stability on the interior through 2016, before playing one season in Green Bay and retiring after the 2017 season. Now, there isn't a bigger Jahri Evans respecter than me. His success in the NFL is a testament to the value of hard work and getting the right players in the right positions to succeed. But drafting a guard at second overall is a little rich for my blood, even if he's a future Hall of Famer. Drafting Bush when they did, in the wake of Hurricane Katrina and with a fresh-faced coach and nicked-up quarterback coming to town, did a lot to energize a Saints fanbase that needed a win. Bush got fans to renew their season tickets and get to their seats early on Sundays. What Sean Payton and Drew Brees did to opposing teams kept them there. Marques Colston So what about the rest of this look back at the 2006 draft? Two more Saints picks ended up going off the board in Round 1, starting with Marques Colston being picked by the Green Bay Packers at fifth overall. PFF's explanation: The Packers were searching for a receiving complement to Donald Driver on the outside. Seventh-round pick Marques Colston finished second in the Offensive Rookie of the Year voting in 2006. That was the first of his six 1,000-yard seasons. Green Bay would have been thrilled if Colston gave Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers the same production he provided Drew Brees. Colston might be the best player in NFL history to never reach the Pro Bowl. He found immediate success in New Orleans, catching 70 passes for 1,038 yards as a rookie and scoring 8 touchdowns, but it's unclear if he'd be as big a hit in Mike McCarthy's Green Bay offense. He primarily worked from the slot early on, lining up to close to the formation that some fantasy football platforms actually listed him as a tight end in 2006. If the Packers envisioned him as an outside threat opposite Driver (who, ironically, robbed Colston of his best shot at a Pro Bowl nod in 2007), he may have faced tougher sledding. Roman Harper But Evans and Colston weren't the only Saints draft picks to end up in this first round. Second-round safety Roman Harper got a boost to join the Carolina Panthers at No. 27 overall: The Panthers made a solid original selection in running back DeAngelo Williams, who played 11 years in the league as a key part of their backfield. This could've been Williams again, but for the fun of switching it up, Harper joins Carolina even sooner in his career timeline. The Panthers' two starting safeties in 2006, Mike Minter and Shaun Williams, were both no longer the starters a year later. Harper made two Pro Bowls in his career and earned a 72.4 PFF overall grade in his first five seasons in New Orleans. That would've been something. Harper was an effective starter for years with the Saints, playing a key role in the blitz-heavy defense that sent them to Super Bowl XLIV. Seeing him spend his career with a division rival would have been painful to say the least. If there's an upside here, it's that DeAngelo Williams wouldn't have landed in Carolina and gone on to rush for more yards against the Saints (1,176) than any other player in franchise history. It's an interesting scenario. It's a couple of interesting scenarios. But we'll brush off the what-ifs and be happy with how it turned out. The Saints made hay in the 2006 draft and picked six players who went on to play 100-plus games in the pros, with several of those picks winning a Super Bowl championship for New Orleans in 2009. It's the type of draft that only comes around once in a generation. We didn't see it again for the Saints until 2017, but maybe the 2025 class can follow in their footsteps.
USA Today
26-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Saints Hall of Famer Jahri Evans has good advice for NFL's next Day 3 draft picks
Saints Hall of Famer Jahri Evans has good advice for NFL's next Day 3 draft picks The third and final day of the 2025 NFL draft is here, and one New Orleans Saints Hall of Famer has advice for all the players about to join him as late-day picks. Jahri Evans was drafted by the Saints in the fourth round of the 2006 draft and went on to start 183 games in the NFL. "Shout out to all your future stars this NFL draft weekend," Evans wrote online, sharing a photo of the Saints' 2006 draft class. "Don't sleep on the day 3 picks. Don't matter how you get to the league, getting better to make sure you stay in the league is key." It's good advice. Just because a player wasn't taken in an earlier round, it doesn't mean they can't go on to have a great career. Evans put in the work and so can these guys. He earned five All-Pro nods and six trips to the Pro Bowl. He was a finalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame after being inducted to the Saints' own Hall of Fame. Few people reach those heights, but Evans is using his own experience as proof that it can happen if you're committed. We'll see who the Saints draft on Day 3 this year. They own two picks in the fourth (Nos. 112, 131) and seventh rounds (Nos. 248, 254) plus a sixth rounder (No. 184). Several young offensive linemen who Evans coached at the Senior Bowl are still available like Kansas tackle Logan Brown and LSU starters Garrett Dellinger and Miles Frazier. Maybe the Saints value his opinion enough to draft one of them.
USA Today
06-03-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Saints bring back coaches from last year's team, including future Hall of Famer
Saints bring back coaches from last year's team, including future Hall of Famer The New Orleans Saints announced their 2025 coaching staff on Thursday, and while we knew many of the names on it from previous reporting, the team did answer a couple of questions we had about who was coming back. Four key assistants are confirmed to return, and several of them are getting promotions. First and most obvious: Jahri Evans is returning and will continue to work with the big men up front, but with a new job title. The future Hall of Famer and Super Bowl XLIV champion was previously listed as an offensive assistant. Now he's been named assistant offensive line coach. It's a small distinction, but an important one. It also sets him up to run the offensive line room himself someday if he keeps climbing the ladder. Next up: Brian Young, the team's longtime pass rush specialist who has now been given the title of assistant defensive line coach. Young earned positive reviews from his players after taking over the defensive line midway through last season, and now he's going to work closely with legendary position coach Bo Davis. Additionally, assistant linebackers coach Adam Gristick is returning to the team after previously working as a defensive assistant, often splitting time with the linebackers and safeties. He represented the Saints at the Senior Bowl where he coached linebackers on the National Team, so this isn't new to him even if it's technically a new title. He's one of the few hires made by Dennis Allen who has stuck around with the Saints. Also, senior defensive assistant Peter Giunta is returning in the same role. He's been a part of the organization for ten years and has 34 years of NFL coaching experience. Giunta has played a critical role in scouting and developing defensive backs over the years, helping the Saints identify diamonds in the rough like Rico Payton, Jordan Howden, and J.T. Gray. A handful of other coaches in less-prominent roles are returning from the 2024 staff: strength and conditioning coaches Charles Byrd and Riley Ireland, plus Mike Martinez, who has worked as an assistant to the head coach for Sean Payton, Dennis Allen, and now Kellen Moore.
USA Today
26-02-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Jahri Evans spotted at the NFL Scouting Combine, confirming he'll stay on the Saints staff
Jahri Evans spotted at the NFL Scouting Combine, confirming he'll stay on the Saints staff Kellen Moore announced he would be retaining Keith Williams as the New Orleans Saints wide receivers coach. That was the only coach on the offensive staff that we knew would be retained, until now. Moore never made an announcement on the fate of Jahri Evans after he took over as Saints head coach. Seeing that NewOrleansFootball's Nick Underhill and other reporters spotted Evans in Indianapolis with the Saints for the NFL Scouting Combine, it's pretty safe to assume Evans will be returning to coaching staff in 2025. The hiring of longtime Philadelphia Eagles assistant offensive line coach T.J. Paganetti suggests Moore would like to run the football effectively, so retaining Evans is a logical move. Evans was an All-Pro guard with the Saints, and has become who is well liked and respected inside the building. After being a training camp intern in 2022, Evans joined the staff in an official capacity in 2023. He's currently listed as an offensive assistant on the Saints' team website. He'd likely return in a similar capacity this upcoming season. Evans expressed his desire to return to the staff while coaching at the Senior Bowl, but couldn't predict his future with any certainty. Well, the Saints legend got his wish, as he survived the coaching change.
USA Today
07-02-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Jahri Evans must wait another year for the Pro Football Hall of Fame to get it right
This is a shame: New Orleans Saints legend and Super Bowl XLIV champion Jahri Evans was not selected for induction to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Evans, the longtime right guard for the Saints and their current assistant offensive line coach, will have to wait another year for the voters to get it right. Evans wasn't part of the Hall of Fame's four-man Class of 2025, its smallest since 2005. Neither were New Orleans locals Eli Manning and Reggie Wayne. Those to be inducted are Sterling Sharpe, Jared Allen, Antonio Gates, and Eric Allen, the Pro Bowl cornerback who spent three years with the Saints. It would be a wonderful thing to see Evans rewarded for his hard work. When he retired, Evans had appeared in 169 games with the Saints — second-most among all offensive linemen in franchise history, trailing only the great Stan Brock (186). He went from being the 108th overall pick in the 2006 NFL draft to racking up accolades in his long career. Evans was a six-time Pro Bowler and earned a spot on the Associated Press All-Pro teams five times (four on the first team, once on the second). He was also selected for the NFL 2010s All-Decade Team and has a space in the prestigious Saints Ring of Honor at the Caesars Superdome. If he can get in next year, he won't be the only member of the Super Bowl XLIV-winning squad to do so. Quarterback Drew Brees will be eligible for induction with the Class of 2026, too, so their bronze busts may end up resting not too far from each other. It would be fitting that one of the men charged with keeping No. 9 clean would get to earn his place in pro football history alongside one of the greatest passers of all time.
