Only One Titans Draft Pick Chosen For Rookie Premiere

Running back Darrynton Evans, the Tennessee Titans’ third-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, was one of 42 players chosen for this year’s NFLPA Rookie Premiere.

The event identifies the “most promising” NFL newcomers in terms of marketability, based on position, draft status and on-field performance during their college careers.

Evans is the only one of the Titans’ six selections in this year’s draft chosen for the Rookie Premiere. Others who took part included Cincinnati quarterback Joe Burrow, Washington defensive end Chase Young and many other first-round picks.

The 42 players consist of eight quarterbacks, 12 running backs, 20 wide receivers, one tight end and one player on defense (Young).

Typically, Rookie Premiere participants gather in Los Angeles for the event, which is sponsored by Panini America and features photo and autograph sessions for their commemorative rookie trading cards and related memorabilia. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the process was altered this year.

“NFLPA Rookie Premiere has been a pioneering event in professional sports, providing our business partners with unparalleled early access to the game’s marketable new players,” Steve Scebelo, Interim President, NFL Players Inc., said in a release from the NFLPA. “This year, faced with the cancelation of the event, our longtime partner Panini innovated a process that will ultimately provide the company with the content they need to fuel their football business and strengthen the bond between player and collector.”

Evans was the No. 93 overall selection this year following a prolific career at Appalachian State, where he joined former Titans running back Chris Johnson and current Carolina running back Christian McCaffrey as the only players in FBS history with at least 1,400 rushing yards, five touchdown receptions and a kickoff return for a touchdown in the same season. Evans did so last fall when he was named the Sun Belt Conference Offensive Player of the Year.

At 5-foot-10, 203 pounds, Tennessee views him as a change of pace from starter Derrick Henry.

Others see in him the potential for real star power.