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Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 6 Mike Evans statistics from 2018 that drop jaws

By Cory Kinnan

TAMPA, FL - SEPTEMBER 24: Mike Evans #13 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers reacts after a play during the second quarter against the Pittsburgh Steelers on September 24, 2018 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)
TAMPA, FL - SEPTEMBER 24: Mike Evans #13 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers reacts after a play during the second quarter against the Pittsburgh Steelers on September 24, 2018 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images) /
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TAMPA, FL – NOVEMBER 25: Wide receiver Mike Evans #13 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers hauls in a 42-yard pass from quarterback Jameis Winston #3 in the first quarter of the game against the San Francisco 49ers at Raymond James Stadium on November 25, 2018 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Will Vragovic/Getty Images)
TAMPA, FL – NOVEMBER 25: Wide receiver Mike Evans #13 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers hauls in a 42-yard pass from quarterback Jameis Winston #3 in the first quarter of the game against the San Francisco 49ers at Raymond James Stadium on November 25, 2018 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Will Vragovic/Getty Images) /

Second-most deep receiving yards in 2018

Last year, Evans finished second in the entire NFL in receiving yards on deep balls, just behind Tyreek Hill of the Kansas City Chiefs. Evans finished with 543 deep yards, and out of 90 qualifying receivers, finishing second on the list is elite.

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This means a massive third of Evans’ receiving yards came down the field; this is quite impressive given that he does not have the speed to burn corners down the field, but is still a reliable target on deep shots. This is a dream come true for new head coach Bruce Arians as he loves to fire the ball downfield in his vertically-minded offensive system.

At 6-5, Evans is in prime position to out-leap cornerbacks in one-on-one coverage to make big plays for the Buccaneers. At 230 pounds, Evans knows how to throw his body around to put his frame in front of defensive backs and shield them away from the ball as well.

Entering a make-or-break year for quarterback Jameis Winston, having a physically dominant receiver on the other end of his passes down the field will give him the flexibility and willingness to take those shots. There is a solid chance the number of receiving yards deep could increase in 2019.

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