I’m worried about Mike Evans. Great player, but I worry that he won’t be used as extensively or effectively without Tom Brady – especially around the end zone.
During Brady’s two years in Tampa Bay, Evans was the guy he tended to look for around the goal line. When they were in clutch situations around the end zone, Evans – with his combination of reliable hands, size and dependable route running – was the player they tended to feature.
Since 2020, Evans has seen 27 targets inside the 10, and with 17 TDs. On both counts, those are No. 2 behind only Davante Adams.
It’s early, of course. Maybe the Bucs can find another good quarterback. More likely, however, they’ll have a lesser player at that position, with Evans being far less productive in that part of the field.
| PASS CATCHERS INSIDE THE 10 (last 2 years) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | Att | Com | TD | 2Pt | EZ% |
| WR Davante Adams, G.B. | 33 | 27 | 20 | 0 | 61% |
| WR Mike Evans, T.B. | 27 | 18 | 17 | 0 | 63% |
| WR Cooper Kupp, LAR | 24 | 14 | 10 | 0 | 42% |
| WR Adam Thielen, Min. | 23 | 20 | 16 | 1 | 74% |
| TE Travis Kelce, K.C. | 23 | 18 | 13 | 1 | 61% |
| TE Mark Andrews, Balt. | 23 | 14 | 11 | 1 | 52% |
| WR Justin Jefferson, Min. | 23 | 7 | 4 | 2 | 26% |
| WR Tyreek Hill, K.C. | 21 | 16 | 12 | 0 | 57% |
| WR Keenan Allen, LAC | 21 | 13 | 9 | 1 | 48% |
| WR Stefon Diggs, Buff. | 21 | 13 | 8 | 0 | 38% |
| TE Darren Waller, L.V. | 19 | 13 | 8 | 1 | 47% |
| WR Brandon Aiyuk, S.F. | 19 | 10 | 8 | 1 | 47% |
| WR DeAndre Hopkins, Ari. | 19 | 9 | 6 | 0 | 32% |
| WR Randall Cobb, Hou.-G.B. | 19 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 32% |
| WR Chase Claypool, Pitt. | 19 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 21% |
| WR Mike Williams, LAC | 19 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 21% |
| WR A.J. Green, Cin.-Ari. | 19 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 16% |
| WR Calvin Ridley, Atl. | 18 | 10 | 7 | 1 | 44% |
| WR Diontae Johnson, Pitt. | 18 | 10 | 6 | 1 | 39% |
| TE Jimmy Graham, Chi. | 17 | 11 | 7 | 1 | 47% |
| WR Hunter Renfrow, L.V. | 17 | 11 | 7 | 0 | 41% |
| TE Hunter Henry, LAC-N.E. | 17 | 10 | 9 | 0 | 53% |
| TE Dawson Knox, Buff. | 16 | 11 | 7 | 0 | 44% |
| TE Zach Ertz, Phi.-Ariz. | 16 | 9 | 5 | 1 | 38% |
| WR Tim Patrick, Den. | 16 | 8 | 7 | 0 | 44% |
| WR Christian Kirk, Ari. | 16 | 8 | 5 | 0 | 31% |
| WR DJ Moore, Car. | 16 | 7 | 5 | 1 | 38% |
| TE Rob Gronkowski, T.B. | 16 | 7 | 6 | 0 | 38% |
| WR Zach Pascal, Ind. | 16 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 25% |
| WR Chris Godwin, T.B. | 15 | 11 | 7 | 0 | 47% |
| TE T.J. Hockenson, Det. | 15 | 10 | 8 | 2 | 67% |
| TE Jonnu Smith, Ten.-N.E. | 15 | 8 | 7 | 0 | 47% |
| WR DK Metcalf, Sea. | 15 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 47% |
| WR Amari Cooper, Dall. | 15 | 7 | 5 | 0 | 33% |
| WR Marvin Jones, Det.-Jac. | 15 | 7 | 5 | 0 | 33% |
On the chart above, it shows all players with at least 15 targets inside the 10. Numbers include not only traditional NFL plays but also 2-point conversions.
—Ian Allan