Ahead of the 2022 season, Pro Football Focus has released a list of the five best offensive and defensive duos in the NFL. The Bucs, unsurprisingly, got some love on the offensive side of the ball. Wide receivers Mike Evans and Chris Godwin received praise for their consistent success together over the years.

“Godwin and Evans have done annual damage as a receiving duo, and 2021 was no different,” PFF’s Kambui Bomani wrote. “The two finished last season with top-20 WAR figures and caught a combined 22 of their 31 contested targets. Whenever Godwin returns from his ACL tear, he and Evans will look to continue their career ascent with Tom Brady returning under center.”

Both players have track records that speak for themselves. Evans’ is a bit longer, given that he came to Tampa Bay as the No. 7 overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft. He has surpassed the 1,000-yard receiving mark in each of his first eight NFL seasons. That’s an NFL record that he surely intends to keep extending for as long as possible. The former Texas A&M star has 606 catches for 9,301 yards and 75 touchdowns since entering the league. Even on some pretty up-and-down offenses, he has been an absolute star.

Bucs WR Chris Godwin – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Godwin came along in 2017, joining the Bucs as a third-round draft pick. He had a minimal role as a rookie, though he still finished with 34 catches for 525 yards and a touchdown in 16 games (two starts). It was in 2018 that he stepped up and formed the second half of what has turned into one of the league’s most dangerous receiving duos.

He started just five games that year, but managed to post 59 catches for 842 yards and seven touchdowns. That led into his 2019 Pro Bowl season in which he totaled a career-high 1,333 yards and nine touchdowns on 86 catches. An 840-yard, seven-touchdown season in 2020 then preceded last year, which saw him top 1,000 yards again. In 2021, he finished with 98 catches for 1,103 yards and five touchdowns in 14 games. He suffered a season-ending knee injury in December, which he’s working his way back from heading into 2022.

It shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone to see Evans and Godwin mentioned among the NFL’s elite duos. The other top offensive duos mentioned in PFF’s list were Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins (Cincinnati), Deebo Samuel and George Kittle (San Francisco), Davante Adams and Darren Waller (Las Vegas) and Justin Jefferson and Adam Thielen (Minnesota).

Evans And Godwin Have Helped Transform The Bucs’ Offense

For much of their history, the Bucs haven’t been known for offensive firepower. The franchise, up until recently, was known only for defense.

But in each of the last three years, Tampa Bay finished top five in the league in points per game. With Jameis Winston under center in 2019, the Bucs averaged 28.6 points per game. That was good for fourth in the NFL. Tom Brady came to town in 2020 led the offense to 30.8 points per game, which was the league’s third-best mark. Then, last year, Brady and the Bucs dropped to 30.1 points per game, but that was the second-best average in the NFL.

Bucs WRs Mike Evans and Chris Godwin – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich has overseen the Bucs’ offensive transformation. But in the last three years, the unit has seen turnover on the offensive line, in the backfield and even under center. Evans and Godwin have been a constant.

Since 2019, the duo has combined for 460 catches, 6,474 yards and 56 touchdowns. That kind of production is what keeps the Bucs’ offense going. It’s part of what attracted Brady to Tampa when he was a free agent in 2020. And it’s a major reason why the Tampa Bay offense will stay afloat even when the Brady era comes to an end.

The production between the two star receivers is gives enough reason to appreciate them. However, it’s the unselfishness they play with that truly makes them unique. In a league that features massive egos — especially at the receiver position — it’s rare to find what the Bucs have.

It’s clear that the front office and coaching staff sees that. Keeping Godwin in town was a priority this offseason, and his three-year deal worth $60 million means that Tampa Bay will boast one of the NFL’s best receiving duos for at least a few more years.