During Tennessee's offseason program, Titans coach Mike Vrabel put first-round draft choice Rashaan Evans in charge of the NFL team's rookies. The former Alabama standout carried the extra responsibility of making sure his fellow rookies were where they were supposed to be when they were supposed to be.

"It's not that he has all the answers," Vrabel said, "but he's been very conscientious, so we've all been pleased with that attitude."

Nick Saban, Evans' college coach, doesn't think it would be a good idea to put the linebacker in charge of the Titans' defense just yet, though.

"He can run; he can rush. He's a very instinctive player," Saban said of Evans during an appearance on "Jared and the GM" on WPRT-FM in Nashville this week. "I think the No. 1 thing you don't won't to do with him is if you make him the signal-caller and bog him down with a lot of different things, it slows him down a little bit. If you can just put that guy with somebody that just lets him play, he'll make a tremendous amount of plays.

"And he's got a lot of versatility. He can do a lot of different things. He can play nickel, he can be a rusher in nickel, he can be a buck, a move-around guy. He's not as big as Hightower, but he can do a lot of things that Dont'a can do."

The Titans have just such a situation for Evans. For the past four seasons, Tennessee's inside linebackers have been Wesley Woodyard and Avery Williamson. With Williamson gone to the New York Jets in free agency, Woodyard needs a new partner.

Woodyard is a 10-year NFL veteran and defensive captain who made a career-high 121 tackles last season.

During Tennessee's offseason program, Vrabel said Evans had "a lot to learn" before he's ready to step into the lineup.

"He's not where needs to be to start for our defense and that's OK," Vrabel said. "There's no expectations. These guys all want to say, 'Did I exceed expectations?' We haven't played a game yet. Whether it be Rashaan or (second-round pick) Harold (Landry), as long as these guys are coming out each day and they're getting better at something, that's what we're worried about -- and I think they have.

"I think he's improved, but we all have a long way to go."

Tennessee's other options at inside linebacker are Jayon Brown and Will Compton.

A fifth-round draft choice last year, Brown played in every game as a rookie after finding a niche as the Titans' nickel linebacker.

Compton started for the Washington Redskins in 2016, but a foot injury limited him to nine games, with three starts, last season. He joined Tennessee in free agency in March.

Evans and the Titans' other rookies are scheduled to report for their first NFL training camp on Sunday at Saint Thomas Sports Park in Nashville.

Tennessee opens its four-game preseason schedule on Aug. 9 against the Green Bay Packers. The Titans kick off the regular season on Sept. 9 against the Miami Dolphins.

Evans already is anticipating his first game.

"Obviously, I'm going to be nervous and anxious," Evans said. "I was like that at every single game when I was at Bama. I feel like I'm going to be like that. And just to be able to have the opportunity to play in the league is something that I dreamed of my whole life. It's going to be amazing."

During an appearance on CBS Sports Radio's "The Jim Rome Show," Evans said he's putting the lessons he learned from Saban at Alabama to practice on and off the field.

"Coach Saban's a very structured guy. He wants things a certain way," Evans said. "I was a guy that was very creative, wanted to do things kind of my way in some sorts. But as I've kind of gotten older and understanding him, I truly implemented his ways and his coaching into my lifestyle. It changed everything, and I feel like to be able to be under a guy like that, I think it does wonders to a guy's life to be able to grow up and be able to understand the meaning of paying attention to detail, doing all the right things when nobody else is looking.

"So just doing those little things like that, I feel like that's something that I implemented into my life, and not only just in football, but outside of football, and I think that's something I'm going to continue to do."

Evans was a first-team selection on the American Football Coaches Association's All-American squad last season before becoming the 22nd player picked in the NFL Draft on April 26.

Evans entered Alabama after earning the state's Class 6A Lineman of the Year Award in 2013, his second season as an All-State defensive end for Auburn High School.

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Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @AMarkG1.