Mike Evans Holds Steady With Annual NFL Network Top-100 Ranking
July 29th, 2023
Mike Evans, the greatest receiver in Buccaneers history, is known for his historic consistency, so his annual NFL Network Top-100 ranking was quite fitting.
Evans ranked No. 53 for the 2023 season, the same spot he held last summer.
The annual feature began Monday and players when ranked 91-100 were released. Tristan Wirfs checked in at No. 98 after being No. 41 last summer. No other Bucs have been named to date. Nos. 1-50 will be named in the coming days.
Per NFL Network, player voting determines the rankings. It’s been previously that starters on teams are given ballots but not all fill them out. In past years, NFL Network has reported it gets about 20 votes per team.
In Evans’ feature, Seahawks Pro Bowl cornerback Tariq Woolen gushed about Evans’ having sneaky numbers and being big, tall, physical and consistent. Browns edge rusher Myles Garrett raved about Evans’ consistency and how he wants the tough throw.
“I think he loves contested catches more than open catches just cause it sets a tone like, ‘No matter if you’re like, you’re on my hip, I’m going to catch this anyway. There’s nothing you can do about it,” Garrett said.
Bucs cornerback Jamel Dean also was featured, noting some of Evans’ best moments and talking about what a challenge Evans is in practice.
Well deserved, Mike!
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July 29th, 2023 at 12:53 pm
Wirfs is an all pro and at #98 this list is already full of crap.
Hear you, but Wirfs missed four games last year on a team with the league’s worsst rushing attack. Hard to get votes that way. –Joe
July 29th, 2023 at 2:48 pm
Would love to see who voted and who didn’t or even could find out how many total votes
July 29th, 2023 at 2:50 pm
Consistent regardless of signal caller or OC. Imagine if we actually featured him in the offense for more than a late game in the season? The talking heads may not recognize the challenges he poses, but I am certain every defensive player on the field keeps a wary eye in his direction when they play the Bucs.
July 29th, 2023 at 3:14 pm
The list is wrong. He’s about 50 spots too low.
July 29th, 2023 at 3:38 pm
Hopefully Baker Mayfield’s sorry as doesn’t screw up Mike Evans 2024 season
July 29th, 2023 at 3:42 pm
Will there be any other Bucs player to make the list 👀
July 29th, 2023 at 3:51 pm
Death, taxes, ME1K
July 29th, 2023 at 3:52 pm
More like M1KE Evans
LOL
July 29th, 2023 at 4:21 pm
Quite the draft pick.
July 29th, 2023 at 4:50 pm
Said it before, and this is no way a criticism since Brady is the GOAT, but man, did I wish Brady would just have had some more Winston in him when throwing to Evans. If Evans is 1-on-1, he’s open, so just throw it high and let him get the ball, or bat it down. With that said, Brady did make Evans a better route runner, more precise, since Evans had to get open to get the ball throw his direction.
Evans is now truly an all-around elite WR and not yet falling off physically, that’s why this year is so disappointing. If the Bucs had a non-garbage QB, a gunslinger, and didn’t run an offense from 1972, Evans would be poised to have his best season ever. Will, in 2014, with Glennon and McCown at QB, Evans still had a great year, so even with the stiffs the team has at QB, Evans should still put up numbers, but it stinks to waste a year, perhaps his last elite season, on some garbage QBs and a team going 5-12.
July 29th, 2023 at 6:21 pm
Madden 20,21,22 with Mike and Brady…should have been illegal
July 29th, 2023 at 8:25 pm
If missing games is a reason for being downgraded, how is Tua on this list, let alone ranked above Wirfs?
Tua’s injury history last season:
Tua missed 4 games total because. Wirfs missed 4 games last season.
Tua was knocked out of two games that he did not finish. Wirfs played a complete 4 quarters and was injured and carted off in OT.
In 2 games he was obviously concussed and should not have been allowed to play, but he was allowed to play anyway. Wirfs had no injuries similar to this.
Tua is a much bigger injury problem than Wirfs.
Anybody who was a part of making this list and says that they would value Tua over Wirfs is biased towards skill position players.
Wirfs has been a 1st Team All Pro and a 2nd Team All Pro. That means he was the best Right Tackle in all of the NFL one season, and the 2nd best Right Tackle in all of the NFL. Tua has never been a part of any All Pro team during his career.
Please ask every GM which player they would rather have, 2 Time All Pro Tristan Wirfs over Zero Times All Pro and multiple concussion, hip surgery and ankle surgery Tua?
I’d bet 10 cases of Big Storm’s Wavemaker (I like Malty over Hoppy, just my preference) that all of them would take Wirfs over Tua because Tua is one more hit away from being possibly seriously brain damaged and no longer able to play or possibly tragically dead.
I love ME13, but given forced to make a hypothetical choice at both players stages in their career, I would take Wirfs over him today if both were free agents. So would every NFL GM as well, especially with Wirfs making the move to LT.
Because of Captain Obvious things such as this, I don’t think this list is credible.
July 30th, 2023 at 3:26 am
“Rod Munch Says:
July 29th, 2023 at 4:50 pm
Said it before, and this is no way a criticism since Brady is the GOAT, but man, did I wish Brady would just have had some more Winston in him when throwing to Evans. If Evans is 1-on-1, he’s open”
Absolutely agree! I still can’t figure what that was all about last year. It was like Mike didn’t exist to Brady at times.
Go Bucs!
July 30th, 2023 at 11:58 am
Brady had absolutely no time to throw the ball last year. That’s why playoff Lenny had so many check down catches. After losing marpet, that right guard, and Jensen, and having smith complain his hands hurt too much to even hold, it was game on for opposing defenses. Lawn chairs would have done much better. It was sad seeing Brady didn’t even have time to watch receivers before coming out of their breaks on routes.
This year I’m thinking things will be better. How much better, only the shadow knows at this point. As for evans, he’s a stud receiver.