Now that the Bucs have lost quarterback there seems to be a lot of doom and gloom for the team. Most pundits place the Bucs at the bottom of the league when it comes to 2023 outlooks. But the defense is still very good. And on offense the team can boast two of the better receivers in the NFL. Better, but maybe not best…

Both Mike Evans and Chris Godwin missed the cut for ESPN’s league-insider rankings for wide receivers. Evans made the “Honorable Mentions” section while Godwin showed up in the “Others Receiving Votes” area.

Bucs 1,000 Yard Dynamo Falls Out Of Top 10

Mike Evans had been a stalwart on the list since author Jeremy Fowler began polling in 2020. Evans ranked sixth in the list’s inaugural year of 2020, followed by seventh in 2021 and eighth this past year.

Bucs WR Mike Evans – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

This year is the first season he has failed to be included in the Top 10. And it feels like it’s not so much the league has soured on the future Bucs Ring of Honor member, so much as this may be the “Age of the Receiver,” with the position having a comparatively small learning curve to other positions and seemingly talented draft class after talented draft class entering the league.

There may be one small concern the league is starting to develop with Evans. Soon to be 30 years old some may be expecting a decline in Evans’ performance go forward. It is interesting what the article quotes an anonymous AFC executive saying:

One of the game’s most underrated receivers appeared in the top 10 for three straight years 2020-22. He’s riding an incredible streak of nine consecutive 1,000-yard seasons, having recorded 1,124 yards last year. “Pure size and a rare skill set, a rare downfield threat,” an AFC executive said. “A rare skill set. Can he keep that up? He’s probably on the back nine at this point, but for a season, you’d still take him before most.”

Evans has consistently been penalized for lacking diversity in his skill set. He does not have the burner speed or rabbit-like agility. But much like fellow Buc Shaq Barrett, perhaps the league is selling him short in discounting the fact that he leverages the skills he does have to an extreme level unmatched by most. Even if Evans is a one or two trick pony, the fact that he continues to succeed year-in and year-out performing those minimal tricks is a testament to how dominant he is in those areas.

Bucs WR 1B Also Received Votes

Bucs WR Chris Godwin – Photo by: USA Today

While most teams feature a WR1 and a WR2, the Bucs tend to boast more of a WR1A and WR1B. And Godwin is the 1B to Evans’ 1A. Chris Godwin returned from a devastating knee injury last year to amassing 1,023 yards and ranking seventh in the NFL with 104 catches. Godwin received some votes from league personnel as one of the top receivers in the NFL, but has never quite replicated the 1,333-yard, nine touchdown breakout performance he had in 2019.

Godwin’s yards per receptions have steadily declined over each of the past three seasons. This has conspired with the role he had in former head coach Bruce Arian’s offense as a move-the-chains slot receiver and the injury to give him the illusion he isn’t a dynamic receiver capable of taking the top off of defenses or creating the highlight-reel play. In new offensive coordinator Dave Canales’ system Godwin should see more opportunities on the perimeter to change that narrative.

Now, while neither receiver cracked the top-10 list per se, the Bucs were one of only six teams to have two receivers on cited on a list of twenty total players. This certainly dovetails with the idea that they still have one of the better receiver corps in the league.