Ironic problems that LA Rams 'superhero' rookie punter Ethan Evans creates

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Los Angeles Rams Offseason Workout Ethan Evans, / Jayne Kamin-Oncea/GettyImages

Does Ethan Evans leave the Rams coverage team hanging?

So some of the drawbacks cited over the Rams rookie punter Ethan Evans is hang time. In short, the longer the amount of time that the ball arcs in the air, the better off the coverage unit will be in terms of not allowing long punt returns. Ideally, the best punts end in a fair catch or the ball rolling out of bounds as close to the opponents goal line as possible.

While Ethan Evans has a cannon for a leg, his hang time is not quite as top-tiered as his gross punting average. It is that disconnect that has some folks tapping the brakes on oohing and ahhing over Evans so far:

I'm not sure why it's such a difficult concept to grasp that net yardage is a product of both the punter and punt coverage unit.

Yes, Rams punt coverage unit must be better. Also, Evans is bombing 55 yard punts with a 4.43 second hang time.

Good luck coverage unit 🫡
— Blaine Grisak 💭 (@bgrisakTST) August 23, 2023

But what is a good hang time in the NFL for punters?

What is the mark of a great NFL punter?

For that answer, I turned to Rookieroad.com and an article entitled Football Hang Time for the answers. In the article, we discover that the average NFL punter's hang time (the time that the football is in the air) is 4.4 seconds, but that the best punters in the NFL strive for a hang time of 5.0 seconds or better.

For the Rams, it may simply be a matter of taking time. After all, let's not ignore the fact that rookie punter Ethan Evans has just arrived to the NFL and is only 22 years old. Like any rookie, his mark in suiting what the LA Rams need from him should not be a fixed image. Rather, he will develop over time.

While only a small data set, I have been impressed with both punter Evans and LA Rams Special Teams Coordinator Chase Blackburn. And my thoughts are that Evans needs to establish distance first, which he most certainly has done. Next comes the pinpoint accuracy of those coffin kicks, punts that pin the opponent deep in their own territory.

FInally, he will need to master a 5.0+ second hang time. That will take the most time, which is why I have listed it last.

In 2022, Rams veteran punter Riley Dixon averaged 48.4 yards per punt, tying him for 10th-place among NFL punters. But his net yards per punt only came in at 40.8 yards per punt, which dropped him all the way to 22nd place in the NFL.

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