“Preserving” Mike Evans
July 21st, 2025
So a new accolade for Mike Evans came with an interesting observation.
Evans ranked No. 9 in the annual ESPN.com survey of 70 coaches, scouts and front office suits, an exercise by Jeremy Fowler to determine the top-10 players at each position.
Interestingly, the voting tied with Evans, Garrett Wilson, Terry McLaurin, Puka Nacua and Brian Thomas Jr. all locked in with the same number of votes for the No. 9 and No. 10 rankings.
Per Folwer, that cluster was re-voted on by “several high-ranking evaluators” and Evans was the easy winner.
“If you’re trying to win one game or win on third down, you’re still picking him really high,” an NFL general manager said. “He’ll decline eventually but I haven’t seen any signs of it. He’s still a beast.”
As multiple coaches noted, Evans pushed through an 11th straight season with at least 1,000 yards — a streak tied with Jerry Rice for the most in NFL history — despite a bad hamstring costing him three games. Evans also cut his drops from nine to four this past season.
The Bucs have done a good job preserving Evans with 671 snaps in 14 games (48 per game), but one veteran AFC scout still wondered whether Evans might retire after 2025.
“This might be it for him,” the scout said. “But he looked awesome last year.”
Joe found the concept of “preserving” Evans interesting. It’s common to see Evans raise his hand to be substituted, almost as if he’s trying to preserve himself.
The 48 snaps per games played for Evans last season was down just two snaps per game from 2023, but it represented a 13-snap dropoff from 2022.
Joe is fine with the Bucs “preserving” Evans. It’s smart. Joe only wishes Todd Bowles would find a way to shave snaps off Lavonte David’s ridiculous total. He played 1,078 last season, 97 percent of the defensive total.
July 21st, 2025 at 12:23 pm
Evans definitely equals winner!
Very informative writing by the NFL analysts. I have to agree with them on the Bucs. They mentioned our biggest weakness, Edge Rusher. Who knew! The Eagles were mentioned as Edge Rusher as their weakness too. They listed Falcons QB Penix as their X-Factor. We shall see. Their weakness, Corner Back.
Thank you for the article and am going to dig deeper into what was written about some of the other teams too.
July 21st, 2025 at 12:50 pm
Puka is the best WR in the NFL.
July 21st, 2025 at 1:31 pm
Agree Joe, Bowles needs a way to get LVD some snaps off so he can be fresher for the deep playoff run.
July 21st, 2025 at 2:19 pm
Joe says: It’s common to see Evans raise his hand to be substituted
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True but in most of the cases, its after he’s been dinged up.
July 21st, 2025 at 2:53 pm
This feels like a repeat article that you already posted, but you got me Joe, I think Evans does two more years, to have 13 years of 1,000 yards. We won’t know till after this year. If he struggles for 1,000 yards again I say he hangs it up. If he goes well this year we will see him again.
July 21st, 2025 at 2:54 pm
Preserving Evans is good for the team and doesn’t significantly impact the ability of the offense to move the ball, particularly with Godwin, McMillan, and EE in secondary roles.
July 21st, 2025 at 2:57 pm
He’ll also come out right after he’s running a big route and made a big play, like a 20+ yard catch. It seems the harder he hits the ground on this kind of catches come the more likely is to come out. It’s another reason I’m really happy we picked Embuka. I like the idea of the drop off being a lot less when our older stars come out.
July 21st, 2025 at 3:02 pm
omg the season is almost here…
i’m getting itchy all over !
July 21st, 2025 at 3:28 pm
The Bucs couldn’t afford to have David on the sidelines. He is the only consistent player on this defense. Hopefully, Winfield is healthy. Also, Reddick will be the difference.
July 21st, 2025 at 3:30 pm
Evans has proven that he can deliver elite production year after year with the number of snaps he plays.
Rotating to the sideline with other receivers to preserve that elite ability to contribute key plays is exactly what he should be doing.
Why wear himself down and give the other team the boost of knowing that
Evans must be getting tired?
When Evans comes back in, he has the other team thinking, oh no, 13 is back in the game again all rested up and ready to show us up again!
And, before when he went out, it usually meant that McMillan was coming in ready to run their legs off going deep.
Now, for better or worse, Egbuka is in the mix. No rest for the weary!
Evans is smart to play the snaps that give the Bucs the biggest payback instead of grinding himself down trying to prove what a tough guy he is. He has proven that already a long time ago.
July 21st, 2025 at 4:24 pm
All he need is 60: YPG receiving
That should be a guarantee
July 21st, 2025 at 4:24 pm
Bucsfan.
Just wondering what your criteria for suggesting that Puka is the best WR in the NFL?
You have a hypothesis — care to support it?
July 21st, 2025 at 4:37 pm
I would like to see him average 17 yards per catch this year. Fewer balls, more big plays downfield. Fewer slants and middle of field routes. Ekuba and Godwin should help.
July 21st, 2025 at 5:23 pm
ME13 has proven himself repeatedly!! Anyone who doesn’t consider him a top tier receiver is wearing blinders or is it just plain blind!
July 21st, 2025 at 5:23 pm
We’ve got enough receivers to rotate when we want to.
July 21st, 2025 at 10:03 pm
Bucsfan Says:
Puka is the best WR in the NFL.
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Were you drinking when you wrote that? Jefferson and Chase are superior to Puka. Even Nabors and Thomas Jr after one season are possibly better than him. He’s excellent, but not the best.
July 22nd, 2025 at 5:58 pm
Evans has 3 or 4 good seasons left in the tank. At least.
Let’s get him some more rings!
Go Bucs!!