(Photo: ESPN)
I always say I’ll remember the 2014 NFL Draft. Some names became stars in the league and this was the draft when Jadeveon Clowney went first overall to the Houston Texans. Other names who came out of this class were Derek Carr, Davante Adams, Aaron Donald, Jarvis Landry, Khalil Mack, and the guy who would become a star instantly for the New York Giants in Odell Beckham Jr. With the seventh overall pick, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers selected a Wide Receiver from Texas A&M named Mike Evans. He was considered the best receiver prospect in the draft that year. In his rookie season, Mike recorded 1,206 yards receiving. Many thought he’d leave Tampa after this year and join a contending team. For the longest, he was linked to the Kansas City Chiefs. Just imagine how scary that would’ve been for that offense with a prime Patrick Mahomes. Today, it was announced that the Buccaneers and their star receiver agreed on a new contract. A two-year deal worth $52 million which will keep him in Tampa Bay for the foreseeable future.
This is one of the best Wide Receivers in the league and he doesn’t get the credit or recognition he deserves. In a league where many teams have a speedy group of receivers, Mike is the prototypical possession receiver. I’m talking about the guy that creates the ultimate mismatch with his height and that’s the first thing you immediately notice about him. He’s 6’5 and weighs 231 pounds with the quickness to move and release himself from the line of scrimmage off the snap. Mike is such a tough cover because he’s a big guy with long arms and uses his arms as shields basically to swipe at anyone defending him. He’s such a threat when he’s on the field and anything you throw in his direction, he’s coming away with it for a catch. One thing Mike doesn’t receive credit for is how tough he is with the ball in his hands. I remember a game back in 2020 on a Monday night against the Los Angeles Rams. He runs a drag route over the middle of the field and makes the catch. When the ball gets in his hands, he simply refuses to go down and pretty much dragged a few Rams defenders into the red zone with him. Mike loves those contested catches more than those open catches. I’m talking about the catches where he leaps himself into the air and goes up to get the ball as if he were grabbing a rebound. When I see that, I think it’s his way of not only setting the tone, but he’s telling Defensive Backs that they can be draped all over him and they can be on his hip, either way, I’m going to make the catch and there’s nothing you can do about it. One of his most memorable catches came on a Sunday night against the Cowboys in 2022. Tampa Bay was in the red zone and he ran the classic fade route. Brady had lobbed it up to him and all Mike did was extend his hand out and make the one-handed catch. Tom put that ball only to where 13 could get it.
There are Wide Receivers who are lucky to even record 1,000 yards receiving two or three times in their careers. Mike Evans on the other hand hasn’t had a year where he hasn’t recorded under 1,000 yards receiving. In other words, what I’m getting at is each year that he’s been in the league, he’s finished a season with 1,000 receiving yards and right now, that stands at ten seasons and counting. What’s impressive about that is how he’s done it with multiple Quarterbacks from Jameis Winston to Ryan Fitzpatrick, Tom Brady, and Baker Mayfield. It truly doesn’t matter, they all know to get him the ball and he will handle the rest. He’s a five-time Pro Bowler and Super Bowl champion.
