Buccaneers: 5 elite receivers that fall short of Mike Evans

Odell Beckham Jr. is one of the names that is most often associated with Mike Evans. Odell Beckham and Mike Evans were both drafted in the first round of the 2014 Draft and have been closely tied to one another since then. Both players ended up in somewhat similar situations, although Eli Manning was a step up over the likes of Mike Glennon and Josh McCown in year one who Mike Evans was working with.

Odell Beckham has become one of the most recognizable NFL players in the league. His spectacular and often draw-dropping plays are only rivaled by his off-field theatrics. At times it seems difficult to read about the NFL and not have an obscure OBJ story pop up.

This is the first place that Mike Evans has a leg up on Beckham. Evans has had nearly no problems with the media or his team and almost seems mute when compared to OBJ, which allows for a far smaller opportunity for the team-player relationship to break down.

In addition to off the field context, Mike Evans has been superior to OBJ on the field as well. For his career Mike Evans has 462 receptions for 7,260 yards and 48 touchdowns. This comes out to an average of 15.7 yards per reception.

On the other hand, Odell Beckham Jr. 464 receptions for 6,511 yards and 48 touchdowns. To be fair, OBJ has played in 15 fewer games than Evans, but this only strengthens Evans’ case as a healthy alternative. Mike Evans is far more efficient with the ball in his hands than OBJ and he rarely deals with the off-field/injury problems that plague the latter receiver.