The legend of former Texas A&M wide receiver Mike Evans will live on through both the college football and NFL realm for years to come, leaving a lasting impression on every Aggie fan who witnessed Heisman-winning quarterback Johnny Manziel lob 17 touchdowns his way for 2,499 yards in two record-setting seasons in College Station, leading to his current Hall of Fame NFL career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Heading into his tenth season with Tampa Bay, Evans has already amassed 683 receptions, 10,425 receiving yards, and 81, yes, 81 touchdowns, which are good for 13 Buccaneers records, and is just two 1,000-plus yard seasons away from breaking the great NFL Hall of Famer Jerry Rices’ record 11 consecutive 1,000-yard seasons, already passing Hall of Fame WR Randy Moss, who finished with six.
Finishing the 2022 campaign with 1,124 yards and six touchdowns, a (hilariously) down year for the veteran, Evans’ seems to have plenty left in the tank at 30 years old. Despite his elite status in the league, The 33rd Team writer and former NFL offensive lineman Ross Tucker has placed Evans as one of the ten most underrated players entering the 2023 season, which will be his first campaign since Tom Brady’s retirement this offseason.
“Everybody knows Mike Evans and acknowledges he is a good player. Still, you never hear his name mentioned as being one of the league’s best wide receivers — despite the fact Evans has had more than 1,000 receiving yards every year for all nine seasons of his career. No other player has done that for more than six years to start his career.
That kind of consistency is incredibly impressive, but it will be tested this season behind a suspect offensive line and with Baker Mayfield at quarterback.”
Tucker’s take is built in harsh truths based on the growing pains Head Coach Todd Bowles’ squad may face with journeyman quarterback Baker Mayfield at the helm. Still, like the former Jameis Winston regime, Mike Evans’s huge catch radius and downfield speed are the best security blanket a veteran signal-caller like Mayfield can ask for.
With a Super Bowl ring and four Pro Bowl berths under his belt, Evan’s new challenge will require his vital veteran leadership, which will be depended on more than ever this season, and we’re all here to watch him deliver week to week.
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