A Mike Evans Replacement?
March 29th, 2026
Washington WR Denzel Boston.
So, yeah, the Bucs have a new hole on the roster.
When Bucs AC/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht had a sitdown at One Buc Palace recently with a select group of the local Fourth Estate, Licht sort of flippantly remarked how the Bucs now have a spot open after Mike Evans bolted to San Francisco.
Adding a receiver in the draft? It’s a crapshoot.
Bubbling up in the comments of this here website is the name of receiver Denzel Boston of Washington (not to be confused with Denzel Washington).
It seems this Boston is sort of a Mike Evans-type: tall, physical, and boxes out going up for the rebound pass. And Boston also seems to have good footwork along the sidelines (Evans’ footwork along the boundary was elite).
For research, Joe decided to go to veteran NFL scribe Bob McGinn’s annual draft guide, now found on the Go Long TD Substack. Joe loves McGinn’s guide because he quotes scouts to get intel on each player — positive and negative — so folks get a full picture of the player.
Evans’ name came up in the breakdown of Boston.
DENZEL BOSTON, Washington (6-3 ½, 210): Backed up for two seasons before starting all 25 games in 2024-’25. “He reminds me of Nico Collins with the body when he came out (in 2021, third round),” one scout said. “He’s probably going to have that same kind of developmental process. He’s more of a second- or third-round guy. He has length, size and really good speed. I’d estimate 4.45. He was a downfield threat for them. He was used so much down the field that you didn’t get to see a lot of that (inside). He’s got good hands but I don’t think they’re great. He’s got work to do there, but there’s only so much work you can do. Just like speed. If a guy doesn’t have great hands he’s never going to be super consistent at the next level. He is explosive off the ball. You can feel it when he’s in the game.” Finished with 132 catches for 1,781 (13.5) and 20 TDs. “He’s an X receiver,” a second scout said. “OK speed. He’s really more of a 50-50-let-me-outrebound-the guy. Body position, basketball player type guy. He’s a real starter.” Also a punt returner, bringing back 25 for an 8.5 average and one TD. “He’s got a little bit of Mike Evans in him but he’s just not as fast down the field,” said a third scout. “He’s got a lot of talent. He’s big and strong, runs good routes, great hands, separates, he’s physical. He’s probably like Tate in the speed department but I like him as a receiver better than Tate. He knows how to get open, set guys up, stop and start, good route runner. He doesn’t have the extra gear but he’s a really good possession receiver.” From South Hill, Wash.
Now Joe knows the Bucs need defense. Hell, Joe wouldn’t lose sleep if the Bucs only drafted the best defensive guy on their board in every round next month, regardless of position. This team not only has a lame defense, but virtually no depth.
But it never hurts to have a big target on offense, a guy comfortable fighting for the ball in traffic and in the red zone.
From what Joe reads, it seems this Boston is likely a second-round pick.
115 seconds of fun Denzel Boston catches pic.twitter.com/i2RPysW8Uu
— Ian Hartitz (@Ihartitz) March 19, 2026
March 29th, 2026 at 10:33 am
Combine statistics have him at 6’4″ and 212 lbs. And a 4.6 40.
His comparables are to Teteroia McMillan. He is definitely a X receiver and excels at cathching 50-50 balls.
He is rising in the draft and some mocks have him at the Late 1st round. Depends on how he scores in ranking, but he might be there when the Bucs pick in the Seond. Doubt he will make it to the third.
He would do well in our offense and take alot of the sting away from Losing Evans. It’s interesting that the 49ers had him in after they got Evans in free agency.
March 29th, 2026 at 10:42 am
He’s the best WR in the draft
77% catch ratio
March 29th, 2026 at 10:44 am
Would rather take Sadiq, slim him down, move him outside.
March 29th, 2026 at 10:47 am
Looks a lot like Evans, the way he battles for the 50/50 balls. Exactly what we need and no longer have on the team.
March 29th, 2026 at 10:51 am
That’s the nice thing about Sadiq. YOU DON’T NEED TO SLIM HIM DOWN. He already runs a 4.39! At his size that’s outrageous.
March 29th, 2026 at 10:56 am
Sadiq will face linebackers and safeties who don’t have a prayer of staying with him too. Not x corners. If he went outside and an x corner went out across from him he could easily out-muscle him but better yet one of our other WR will be open deep. He’s a walking mismatch.
March 29th, 2026 at 11:00 am
Gipper, why slim him down? The bigger, the better. Fans think the Bucs are good at receiver, think again. Godwin is one ankle, foot, knee away from hanging it up for good. J Mac is coming off a broken neck. EE is our best receiver, and we hope Tez keeps getting better. Behind those guys we have a bunch of jags. We lost Evans, those are big shoes to fill, and Sheppard hasn’t been resigned if we even want him back. I would not be opposed to a 2nd round receiver.
March 29th, 2026 at 11:04 am
So, we need to try at some point to get a red zone target.
However, it so unfair to compare Boston or anyone else to Mike Evans.
Evans catch radius is superior to almost anyone that ever has been in the NFL.
At 6’5 inches and an 82 2/8th inch wingspan there just were not players that matched him in the NFL.
Boston at 6′ 4″ and a 77 6/8 wingspan.
When Baker saw Mike Evans — he effectively was throwing to someone with a target of a player that was 6′ 10 inches.
If Boston is on the Bucs next year — he will essentially be throwing to someone that matches his height and will be throwing to someone who is just the 6 feet 4 inches.
That’s a huge difference for the cornerback covering and a huge difference when that QB is throwing that fade route in the end zone or that back shoulder route on the sidelines.
Against Evans, a DB can have “perfect” coverage and still lose because Mike can snag a ball that is physically outside the DB’s maximum reach. Baker can have an imperfect pass in the Endzone, and it still will be a completion because of Evans reach.
March 29th, 2026 at 11:04 am
Please Gipper and Stpetematt. You guys usually have the best feeling about players. Sadiq sucks. To put it mildly. He wins the bronze statue award and his raw athletic skills are outstanding. The guy wasn’t in the 100 receivers in yards or catches last year. 50 catches and 550 yards? What!! 8 touchdowns! What? And that’s twice the stats he had the year before that. Wasn’t Licht just saying that we’re gonna start putting more stock into production in college instead of RAS? Let a franchise pick this nobody, a franchise that savors a good kick in the teeth. That’s not us. This Boston kid has impressive production. Not even a comparison between these two. We already have Evans replacement. If we pick another receiver, man it’ll make me mad.
March 29th, 2026 at 11:14 am
Why replace Evans with another similar x receiver, with actual production as an x rec, when you can replace him with a guy that’s not an x rec who had 1 year of production. Sounds like a plans Licht would do.
March 29th, 2026 at 11:16 am
Hodad Says:
March 29th, 2026 at 11:00 am
Gipper, why slim him down?
==============================
OK don’t slim him down. If available at 15 (doubtful), TAKE HIM.
There are a lot of LB’s and DT’s. Should be able to find good ones in 2nd and 3rd.
March 29th, 2026 at 11:19 am
Vanderbilt TE, Eli Stowers won the John Mackey award (Best TE)
But he’s not your traditional in line TE, he’s more like Kyle Pitts
His production during his 2 seasons at Vanderbilt was off the chain
111 receptions, 1,402 yards, 9 TDs
He’s also athletic like Sadiq, 4 51 speed, 40 inch vertical
But Sadiq don’t have the on field production
Stowers is 6’4 240 lbs, converted QB
Only been playing TE for 3 seasons
March 29th, 2026 at 11:20 am
Id rather find a big bodied X in the later rounds. WR isn’t a huge need like LBer, Edge. OL, CB.
The first 2 rounds have to address those needs. Gotta come away with some defensive players who can start right away at either LBer, Edge or CB..or a stud OL to push our guards and add depth.
March 29th, 2026 at 11:23 am
He looks a lot like Evans. Even uses the subtle push-off.
March 29th, 2026 at 11:29 am
I don’t think anyone is sure we have a hole yet. We will for sure miss Mike. Hoping we have a couple of of promising young dudes step up. Godwin stepped up after his first two seasons. Similar to our young dudes NFL starts?
However I still worry about Chris being the same as he has been after the last two seasons. So we need to consider his age and his health. We were WR poor for some time before Mike and Chris came. No, not forgetting about Jackson but he was it for a time. Would have been even better if Jaymiss had learned no throw it to the right jersey color.
Go Bucs!
March 29th, 2026 at 11:31 am
Bowles has a 45.5 vertical
He also won the William Campbell award
As the top student athlete, the Academic Heisman
March 29th, 2026 at 11:38 am
Well, I didn’t see Egbuka coming. I loved that pick later. I’d sure like to know where he went after the bye, but he was far from the only one. I don’t even remember who I actually wanted or who I thought they might take. This year I don’t have any preferences. I’d rather not draft Sadiq or however you spell that name. Heck, don’t that have any Smiths or Joneses in college anymore?
March 29th, 2026 at 11:41 am
The Bucs signed 6’6 210 lbs Jaden Smith after rookie camp tryouts in late July
He got hurt, the Bucs put him on I.R, but he’s still on the roster
He’s their tallest WR on the roster
March 29th, 2026 at 11:48 am
Passes the sniff test
March 29th, 2026 at 11:56 am
I am not a fan of drafting Sadiq in the first round but saying he sucks or is a statute or that Jason Licht should not draft him because he had no production is all false.
He led FBS TEs with 8 receiving TDs.
He set Oregon school recorda for TE with 51 receptions and 560 yards.
NFL.com graded him 2nd in production score among TE’s.
I mean Brock Bowers had 56 catches as a TE with 6 TDs his senior year and did not become an NFL bust even though there were 80 or 100 wide receivers that caught more balls than him that year.
But again, if we want Sadiq to be the red zone target that replaces ME, I am sorry neither Boston nor Sadiq will be a Mike Evans replacement.
March 29th, 2026 at 12:06 pm
TMac is much faster than Boston.
But we do need a WR1 bcuz we don’t have one currently.
Egbuka can’t be relied upon consistently bcuz he drops too many balls.
Godwin isn’t a WR1 outside receiver, either.
We currently do not have a legitimate WR1 on our roster.
March 29th, 2026 at 12:11 pm
Burks from Oklahoma is vastly superior.
March 29th, 2026 at 12:18 pm
I mean I will give the Bucs front office credit. That’s one area they know how to draft is WR
March 29th, 2026 at 12:28 pm
He was only third team in the Big 10—not exactly a superstar grade for college.
His stats are there—appears consistent, so there’s a good chance he’ll have a solid career.
That considered, I wouldn’t be surprised if he fell to Round 2.
If we trade up for our first monster pick (ah, to dream!), grab him in with the second pick if he’s still there.
In an earlier story, Joe said Baker, although at times inconsistent, has moments of greatness. Agree—kinda like Kirk Cousins whenever he plays the Bucs.
Whenever you have a class divided on a player, he’s usually somewhere in the middle. Baker is not great, nor is he a bum. So pay him middle money if you want to keep him.
And keep this in mind: did half the NE fan base want to get rid of Brady when he was 30? Do half the fans in KC think Mahomes is average?
Best to keep it real with Baker, and that’s somewhere in the 15th best range.
March 29th, 2026 at 12:31 pm
If we draft a WR or TE
We just can’t draft them because of their speed, Athleticism
We have to draft a receiver that’s best for Baker, and this offense
That was the problem last season, we thought we had a top O-Line
But if you go back to early 2024, our offensive line stunk
Mainly because the Bucs wanted to run deep routes
But when Liam Coen went to the dink and dine offense
The O-Line became a top unit in the NFL
Last year Grizz went back to the vertical passing game
And our run game and passing game stunk
With that said, Denzel Boston is the best fit for Baker and this offense
So is Stowers, if you want a TE, because he’s a Move TE
And that’s exactly what Zach Robinson is looking for
Sometimes you don’t just draft the BPA
You draft the Best Player for your particular system
March 29th, 2026 at 12:45 pm
There is no replacement for Evans. No need to pretend there is.