The Tampa Bay Buccaneers knew replacing Mike Evans would be no easy task, but even they might have underestimated just how much Baker Mayfield and the offense would miss the future Hall of Fame wide receiver.
The Buccaneers’ passing offense has been hapless, ranking dead last in the NFL. While quarterback play has been a major factor, the lack of a true No. 1 receiver is equally damaging to the team’s struggles through the air.
Evans was the centerpiece of Tampa Bay’s offense for over a decade, and without him, it feels like the Buccaneers have lost their identity. There is no consistent downfield threat that defenses have to respect, no go-to target in the red zone, and no security blanket for Mayfield to count on in critical situations.
Mike Evans’ absence has exposed a glaring weakness in the Buccaneers’ offense
Heading into the season, the Buccaneers’ wide receiver room looked stacked, even without Evans. But they’ve failed spectacularly to fill the void left behind by his departure.
Through nine games, the Buccaneers don’t have a single player with over 300 receiving yards.
Emeka Egbuka is the team’s leading receiver with 278 yards, which ranks 80th among all wide receivers in the NFL. He’s averaging just four catches for 40 yards per game, which isn’t going to cut it coming from a team’s top target in the passing game. Most concerning is that he’s caught only 57% of his targets, the lowest conversion rate among the team’s top three receivers.
Chris Godwin trails closely behind with 258 yards, averaging three catches for 29 yards per game. Tez Johnson has been the Bucs’ WR3 with 254 yards, averaging one catch for 28 yards per game.
Rookie Ted Hurst was hyped up as the potential successor to Evans given his towering 6-foot-4 frame combined with his wide catch radius, contested-catch ability, and success making plays downfield and in the red zone. It sounded good on paper, but that hasn’t translated to the pro level – at least not yet.
Hurst is the team’s least efficient receiver, catching only 44% of his targets. In Week 9 against the Chicago Bears, the rookie played just one snap, dropping a wide-open pass before being benched for the remainder of the game.
As the Buccaneers wide receivers continue to struggle, let’s check in on Mike Evans in San Francisco.
Mike Evans is thriving with the 49ers while the Buccaneers struggle to replace him
Evans has recorded 27 receptions for 420 receiving yards and three touchdowns, and has caught 69% of his targets. Despite missing two games due to injury, Evans has more receiving yards and touchdowns than any player on the Buccaneers.
He’s become Brock Purdy’s favorite target, and 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan has made it a priority to scheme up opportunities for Evans on third downs and in the red zone.
That kind of dependability is exactly what is missing from the Buccaneers offense, and they clearly have nobody capable of filling Evans’ shoes.
The team’s wide receiver woes won’t be fixed this season, and the problem could become even more pronounced if Tampa Bay moves on from Godwin after this season, as expected. Finding a legitimate WR1 during the offseason, whether through free agency or the NFL Draft, needs to be the top priority for the Buccaneers if they want to fix this hopeless passing game.
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