Buccaneers: Key stats show just how clutch Mike Evans really is
TAMPA BAY – Mike Evans is easily one of the best receivers in the NFL. He's already the best Buccaneers receiver in team history and he's very likely to also go down as the franchise's best draft pick of all-time. Evans can do just about anything that's asked of him. He can go deep, intermediate, […]
TAMPA BAY – Mike Evans is easily one of the best receivers in the NFL. He's already the best Buccaneers receiver in team history and he's very likely to also go down as the franchise's best draft pick of all-time.
Evans can do just about anything that's asked of him. He can go deep, intermediate, and he can even be used in the short passing game/screen game from time-to-time. He's also an exceptional run blocker that isn't scared to do the dirty work.
And, as it turns out, Evans was a clutch chain-mover in 2021. Per The Athletic's Nate Tice, Evans finished 2021 with a 78.6% first-down conversion rate when targeted on 3rd and 4th down.
That number just so happens to be the best mark among all qualifying receivers in the NFL since 2019, as well.
Evans didn't just squeak by second-place Cole Beasley, either. He surpassed Beasley by a whopping seven percent. As you can see, it's only a 1.6% difference between Beasley and fifth-place Tyreek Hill. Evans more than quadrupled that, alone.
What makes this all the more impressive is that per Sports Info Solutions (where Tice found these stats), Evans also had zero drops in this scenario and he managed these numbers despite having an average mark of 12.3 yards per target. That tied for the fifth-highest mark among all receivers with at least 20 targets in 2021.
The Buccaneers' No. 1 receiver also finished with a mark of 1.39 EPA/target, which led the NFL. Christian Kirk's 1.22 EPA/target was good for second.
Another year, another round of opportunities for Evans to continue proving he's one of the game's best.
And numbers like these will eventually get him that gold jacket every player desires.
Featured image via Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports
