Justin Evans C Nebraska |
NFL Draft Profile & Scouting Report
| Jersey: #51 SUB-POSITION: Guard/Center | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last Updated: 11/03/2026 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Draft Year: 2027 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| FORTY time: 5.15 seconds (73%*) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Age: 22.6 DOB: 04/21/2004 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Jersey: #51 | |
| SUB-POSITION: Guard/Center | |
| Last Updated: 11/03/2026 | |
| Draft Year: 2027 | |
| Forty time: 5.15 seconds (73%*) | |
| Age: 22.6 DOB: 04/21/2004 | |
| Overall Rating: |
83.9 / 100
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| Average rating of opposition Defense player has faced | ||
| Defense Rating: |
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78% |
| Click the links below to view how player ranks vs other prospects. | ||
| Pass Blocking: |
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89% |
| Run Blocking: |
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73% |
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DRAFT PROJECTION:
4th
Overall Rank:
#127
Position rank:
#21 (OL)
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| College Games: 45 College Snaps: 2557 | ||
ESPN RATING: 73/100
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247 RATING: 79/100
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RIVALS RATING: 5.6 (92%)
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| Player Comparison* (Similarity level) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Jake Majors - Texas |
|
88% |
| Zach Frazier - West Virginia |
|
85% |
| Luke Wypler - Ohio State |
|
78% |
Draft Profile: Bio
Justin Evans grew up in East Orange, New Jersey, and was a two-way lineman at Irvington High School, making 52 tackles and five sacks on the defensive line as a junior and earning all-state honors on the offensive line as an upperclassman, and he helped Irvington win the 2021 state title and also wrestled. A three-star recruit and a top-20 player in New Jersey, according to Rivals, he chose Nebraska over offers from Alabama, Cincinnati, Kentucky, Pitt and Texas A&M.Evans redshirted in 2022 and was a co-offensive scout team player of the year. He played in 12 games with five starts in 2023, at center and left guard, and started all 13 games at left guard in 2024. He moved to center in 2025 and started all 13 games without allowing a sack, helping Emmett Johnson earn first-team All-America and Big Ten running back of the year honors. Offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen said he could be as good a center as exists in college football, calling him an undersized overachiever.
Evans returned for his fifth season as the only player on the roster who started his career at Nebraska. He was a preseason second-team All-American by The Athletic, and Pro Football Network named him the top center in the country after the opener against Ohio. He has started every game at center, and The Athletic named him to its midseason All-America team in October. He has allowed no pressures in eight games, and Nebraska won its first five games by at least 18 points.
Scouting Report: Strengths
- Has allowed no pressures in eight games this season
- Started all 13 games at center in 2025 without allowing a sack
- Named a midseason All-American by The Athletic in 2026
- Experience at center and left guard, with more than 35 career starts
- Good athleticism for a center on reach blocks and climbs
- Smart, accomplished student and team leader off the field
Scouting Report: Weaknesses
- Flagged four times this season, already more than in 2025
- Holgorsen has called him undersized, so length could be tested
- Played only two seasons at center after starting at guard
- Allowed 10 pressures in his first season at center in 2025
Scouting Report: Summary
Evans is a smart, athletic center who has been one of the best interior linemen in the country this season. He has allowed no pressures in eight games, Pro Football Network named him the top center in the country after the opener, and The Athletic named him to its midseason All-America team. He started all 13 games at center in 2025 without allowing a sack and helped Emmett Johnson become a first-team All-American, and he started all 13 games at left guard in 2024.His experience and character stand out. He is the only player on Nebraska's roster who started his career in Lincoln, he has more than 35 career starts at center and guard, and he has been a member of the program's citizenship teams, a three-time Academic All-Big Ten pick and a graduate in advertising and public relations. Dana Holgorsen has said he could be as good a center as exists in college football, and Nebraska won its first five games by at least 18 points this season.
However, there are areas to watch. He has been flagged four times this season, after three apiece in 2024 and 2025, and he allowed 10 pressures in 2025. Holgorsen has called him an undersized overachiever, so NFL teams will test whether his length holds up against bigger nose tackles. He also has only two seasons of experience at center, after spending his first years at guard.
Overall, Evans is a technically sound, experienced center whose athleticism, intelligence and consistency give him a clear path to an NFL role. He projects as a fourth-round center with the ceiling of a starter in a zone scheme and the floor of a reliable interior backup who can also play guard. His leadership and work ethic should make him a valued presence among NFL linemen.
How other scouting services rate Justin Evans (Overall Rank)
All Scouts AverageOverall Rank
148.7
All Scouts AveragePosition Rank
26.0
*Percentile Ranking in Player's Position Group (NFL Combine Historical Data): This percentile reflects how a player's specific statistics rank
in comparison to historical performances at the NFL Combine, specifically within their position group. A higher percentile indicates a better performance.
For instance, being in the 90th percentile for a particular stat means the player outperformed 90% of their peers in that category.
*Similarity Percentage: This percentage is calculated based on a comprehensive analysis of various factors, including height, weight, 40-yard dash times, on-field performance statistics, and overall player rating. The analysis is conducted against our database of draft prospects from 2021 to 2023. This similarity score helps in evaluating how closely a current prospect aligns with past prospects. It is important to note, however, that this score reflects similarities based on college production and attributes, and does not account for eventual success or performance in the NFL.
*Similarity Percentage: This percentage is calculated based on a comprehensive analysis of various factors, including height, weight, 40-yard dash times, on-field performance statistics, and overall player rating. The analysis is conducted against our database of draft prospects from 2021 to 2023. This similarity score helps in evaluating how closely a current prospect aligns with past prospects. It is important to note, however, that this score reflects similarities based on college production and attributes, and does not account for eventual success or performance in the NFL.