The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have a reliable offensive weapon in Mike Evans. You can expect him to play a big role in 2019.
Mike Evans was taken as the seventh overall selection in the 2014 NFL Draft. In just a few years, he has become the all-time leader in receiving yards for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers franchise. He has caught 717 passes for 6,103 yards with 40 touchdowns.
Evans has shown throughout his career that he can make the big play. In fact, he is averaging 15.5 yards per reception for his career. Evans moves the chains with each reception which makes him the quarterback’s most reliable target.
Last season, Evans put up a few career numbers. He had 1,524 receiving yards for an average of 17.7 yards per reception. He also caught the longest pass of his career of 72 yards. Evans has not disappointed anyone by his playmaking ability.
In 2019, he will be on every opposing defensive coordinator’s radar. They will definitely game-plan to limit his offensive contribution for the Buccaneers. You can not stop the big receiver but only somehow try to contain him.
As a 6-5 receiver, he creates a mismatch on every play. Evans also weighs 231 pounds, which allows him to absorbs hits from safeties and linebackers. Most of all, Evans is able to create space between him and defenders.
The Buccaneers can expect Evans to continue his excellent play this upcoming season. He is second to James Wilder in receptions on the franchise leaders list. Evans needs 36 receptions to become the Buccaneers all-time leader in that category. He could comfortably accomplish that milestone in Week 9 against the Seattle Seahawks, if not before.
The Buccaneers have solid tight ends, which helps Evans get open beyond just his own ability. O.J. Howard and Cameron Brate combined for 64 receptions for 854 yards with 11 touchdowns. Hopefully, Jameis Winston will get the ball to Evans consistently.
Evans has been named to the Pro Bowl twice, in 2016 and last season. There’s a good chance that he makes a third appearance unless Tampa Bay hits their stride and makes a deep playoff run at the Lombardi Trophy.