In the 2024 NFL regular season finale, Mike Evans caught his 74th reception to surpass 1,000 receiving yards on the year. Since being drafted in 2014, the 31-year-old has reached 1,000 yards in every one of his 11 seasons in the NFL.
Looking back, the first round of the 2014 NFL draft was absolutely loaded with players, most of whom had higher expectations than Evans. Odell Beckham Jr., Aaron Donald, Johnny Manziel, Ryan Shazier, Khalil Mack, and Jadeveon Clowney were all brought into the NFL. Mike Evans was drafted seventh overall by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Given their offensive struggles, the Texas A&M product didn’t receive a lot of hype.
Odell Beckham was setting NFL records as a rookie, Aaron Donald was terrorizing quarterbacks, and Zack Martin became one of the greatest offensive linemen in recent history. It’s easy to see how Evans could get lost in the shuffle with these superstars. He started his career off as an instant WR1 with 68 catches for 1,051 yards and 12 touchdowns, but on a 2-14 Bucs team, his efforts went fairly unnoticed.
Some of the biggest names in the 2014 NFL draft did not reach their potential. Jadeveon Clowney was drafted first overall, and after four years with the Texans, he’s bounced around to five different NFL teams. His career hasn’t been a complete bust, but he missed the mark on expectations.
Odell Beckham spent his first four years with the Giants, and just like Clowney, he’s struggled to find a permanent home since. Injuries hindered his career, and his best days were in New York. Johnny Manziel was set to be the savior of the Cleveland Browns, and he was out of the league in just two years. The 2014 NFL draft class has two surefire Hall of Fame players, Aaron Donald, and Mike Evans.
In each of his 11 NFL seasons, Mike Evans has never had less than 65 receptions and 1,000 yards. He’s tied only with Jerry Rice for most consecutive 1,000-yard seasons, and he’s tallied 105 touchdowns in his career. One thing he was missing for most of his career was a Super Bowl ring, but he earned that in 2021 at Super Bowl LV.
Mike Evans has never played less than 13 games in a single season. He’s also accomplished all of these feats with seven different quarterbacks. Number 13 has caught passes from Mike Glennon, Josh McCown, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Blaine Gabbert, Tom Brady, and Baker Mayfield. He’s seen the highest of highs, and the lowest of lows in an NFL offense, but he’s always found success.
There are many underrated stars in NFL history, and Mike Evans might be at the top of that list. He’s the most reliable NFL receiver in the last 15 years, and he’s always a game-changer for the Buccaneers. He’s a first-ballot Hall of Famer and a legend, and the scariest part is, he’s not even done yet.
End Of My Mike Evans Rant
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