PHILADELPHIA — Two more members of the Texas A&M football team were selected on day two of the 2017 NFL Draft as senior defenders Justin Evans and Daeshon Hall heard their names called on Friday evening.
Evans, a safety from Wiggins, Miss., was taken in the second round (No. 50 overall) by the Tampa Bay, while Hall, a defensive end from Seattle, Wash., was picked in the third round (No. 77 overall) by the Carolina Panthers. Evans and Hall were the second and third Aggies taken in the 2017 Draft after teammate Myles Garrett was selected No. 1 overall on Thursday.
Evans had a huge senior season, earning second-team All-Southeastern Conference honors and being a semifinalist for the Jim Thorpe Award. Evans, who was named Defensive Co-MVP along with Garrett at the annual team banquet, recorded 87 tackles, including a team-high 52 solo tackles, and led the team with four interceptions. He also led the team with 428 kickoff return yards while averaging 28.5 yards per return.
“Justin has performed extremely well for us on the backend of our defense for the past two seasons,” Aggie head coach Kevin Sumlin said. “He has great closing speed and tackles with punch. He also has the versatility to help a team on special teams.”
Hall led the Aggies’ defensive front with 50 total tackles and also contributed 4.5 quarterback sacks and 13.0 tackles for loss, which ranked second on the team behind Garrett’s 2016 sack and TFL totals. Hall had a team-high 12 quarterback pressures and also forced a pair of fumbles and recovered a pair of fumbles. He finished his career with 16.0 QB sacks and 36.5 tackles for loss and 24 QB pressures.
“Daeshon came in as a basketball player who was undersized but has worked hard to make himself one of the best defensive ends in the country,” Sumlin said. “He would have received more attention if he hadn’t played opposite of Myles Garrett. Daeshon has made a name for himself and should have a bright career at the next level.”
Story courtesy of Texas A&M Athletics