The 2013 NFL Draft is set to take place from April 25-27, and Florida Gators safety and 2012 leading tackler Josh Evans has kept you up-to-date on his Path to the Draft over the last three months via a weekly blog entry exclusively here at OGGOA.

Evans’s second-to-last entry covers his final week as an amateur, which included another meeting with a prominent NFL franchise, multiple conversations with teams and the final preparations before he, his family and friends celebrate the conclusion of his journey either Friday or Saturday. Be sure to check back next week for Evans’s final entry as his Path to the Draft finally comes to a close.

Last week after my last entry, I met with the San Francisco 49ers on Thursday and Friday over here in New Jersey. Secondary coach Ed Donatell and I first met on Thursday night, went to dinner and had a nice conversation. We then went back to the hotel he was staying at in order to go over defensive schemes. They asked me to learn their personnel and philosophy of how they run things there. And then on Friday, when they worked me out, it was pretty much just a simulation of communicating and running the signals that we discussed on Thursday. It was almost like I had to take homework home and study my notes, learn a whole new scheme. Some of it was similar but some of it was different as far as what they called things. I had to learn it their way and then recite it back to them while showing what I could do on the field.

I have not had any more meetings since the one with San Francisco but did have a webcam interview this Tuesday with the Philadelphia Eagles’ defensive coordinator [Bill Davis] and defensive backs coach [John Lovett]. We discussed what I have been up to recently, where I have been training and how I was feeling physically. We also went over their schemes and how they see me fitting into their system.

Aside from San Francisco and Philadelphia, other teams I spoke to within the last week include the Dallas, Minnesota, Seattle, Jacksonville and the New York Jets. I had conversations with all of those teams but also received calls from others that were making sure they had the correct draft day information for me – my birthday, what number they can reach me at, where I will be watching the draft.



As far as teams that have been in great communication with me, the Jets have been showing a lot of love. The Jaguars called three days in a row – they called my agent twice and spoke to me, too. They’ve been showing a lot of interest. The 49ers called me Tuesday morning even though we met just late last week. The Browns – if you remember I went to their facility a few weeks ago – they reached out again, too.

I’m definitely excited and anxious to see what happens this weekend. The plan is to keep it low-key on Thursday and Friday, just hanging out with my family in New Jersey probably. On Saturday though, we are going to have a party at Greenhouse in New York with my family and friends there to watch the draft and cheer me on.

This weekend is going to be a lot of fun, but I do want to take some time out right now and thank all of the Gators fans that have been supportive throughout my entire journey. I may not answer every single one – please understand I’ve been very busy recently – but I do see your tweets and messages and they mean a lot to me.

I’m really happy I had a chance to do this blog each week, and I know many of you have been following along to track me through the process and see my next move. I totally appreciate each and every one of you and definitely want to send out my love and thanks for your support through this whole process.

My Path to the Draft is almost complete so this will be my next-to-last entry. I am excited to find out what team picks me on Saturday – or hopefully Friday, that would be great – and will definitely be checking in one more time to talk about the draft and my new team.

Go Gators,

