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Buccaneers: Five Best First Round Picks in Franchise History

By Alan Schechter

Mar 1, 2017; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht speaks to the media during the 2017 NFL Combine at the Indiana Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 1, 2017; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht speaks to the media during the 2017 NFL Combine at the Indiana Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports /
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5. Mike Evans

We begin with a player everyone knows and loves. Mike Evans was chosen with the seventh overall choice in the 2014 draft and has been nothing less than a superstar. In that rookie year of 2014, Evans showed the world his potential over three straight weeks in November. Here are the numbers:

  • 7 receptions, 124 yards, 2 touchdowns
  • 7 receptions, 125 yards, 1 touchdown
  • 7 receptions, 209 yards, 2 touchdowns

With that spectacular run of production, Evans showed the world he was an elite receiver and that has continued to this day. That 2014 season saw Evans post 68 catches for 1,051 yards and 12 touchdowns. To show he wasn’t a fluke, he went for 100 yards or more on five separate occasions during his sophomore campaign of 2015. He finished with 74 receptions for 1,206 yards and three touchdowns.

Last year, Evans finally got the recognition he deserved with his first Pro Bowl selection. He posted 96 receptions, 1,321 yards and 12 touchdowns. He was targeted a whopping 173 times to lead the NFL. The most impressive trend was the drops. In 2015 he lodged 11 dropped passes, which dropped to seven in 2016. That is what we need to see for Evans to be recognized as one of the elite wide receivers in football.

Even after just three years, he deserves a spot on this list.

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