Bucs quarterback Baker Mayfield on rookie Emeka Egbuka: "Right now, I think we could plug and play him at any receiver spot. He understands the offense that well."
TAMPA — Take a deep breath. Look at the calendar. No one has played a meaningful snap.
Then again, consider the source.
Mike Evans is entering his 12th season. His final stop will be on the steps of the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. He didn’t sniff the playoffs for the first six years of his career but now can’t seem to miss the postseason, including winning Super Bowl 55.
And honestly, Evans’ hot takes rarely rise above room temperature.
So when he gave the following assessment on the final day of mandatory minicamp, it was notable for its lack of sobriety:
“I know I say it a lot, but this might be the best receiving room I’ve been a part of.”
Wait, what?
Maybe it’s just recency bias. Evans had just concluded the offseason and admitted he feels rejuvenated by his younger teammates.
But he may also be telling the absolute truth.
You start with Evans and Chris Godwin, who granted, is recovering from a dislocated ankle he sustained midseason against the Ravens. At the time, Godwin was leading the NFL with 50 catches and had five touchdown receptions.
But when they retire, Evans and Godwin will continue to rank Nos. 1 and 2 on the Bucs’ all-time receiving yards list.
You add Jalen McMillan, who got off to a slow start as a rookie but finished strong with seven touchdowns in the final five games of his rookie season.
What rookie receiver Tez Johnson lacks in height he more than makes up for in speed and elusiveness.
As if that weren’t enough, the Bucs used their first-round pick on Ohio State receiver Emeka Egbuka and a seventh-rounder on Oregon’s Tez Johnson.
No one has made a better first impression than Egbuka.
“The thing that sticks out is how cerebral he is,” quarterback Baker Mayfield said. “He’s so smart. Right now, I think we could plug and play him at any receiver spot. He understands the offense that well. That’s him being a pro already. He’s not a rookie. He doesn’t act like it, at least.”
Johnson, who would be among the smallest players in the NFL at 5-foot-10, 165 pounds, also runs a 4.51 40-yard dash and can make defenders miss like his former collegiate teammate, Bucky Irving.
“Tez Johnson is a guy that’s obviously a later draft pick but a lot of talent,” Mayfield said. “A little guy but really explosive. Understands how to win on leverage. One of those guys you really can’t touch in a phone booth, so it’s fun to watch him release off press coverage.
“We’re just trying to get as many people as we can involved. After last year, obviously we understand you’re going to need more than just your starting 11, so we’re trying to get everybody to elevate their standard and be ready to go.”
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McMillan caught a touchdown pass in the season-opening win over Washington, but then struggled with injuries and confidence, missing four games. But he began to practice better and it carried over to later-season games.
“Just be where my feet are, (have) intent with all my actions,” McMillan said of his secret. “I feel like last year, I was more focused on, ‘How am I going to look in the future?’ instead of worrying about what I wanted to accomplish in the moment, and as y’all can see, as I focused on the moment, I did good things.”
The position group also includes Sterling Shepard, Trey Palmer and Rakim Jarrett or Ryan Miller.
Jalen McMillan started to come into his own as the 2024 season wore on, scoring two receiving touchdowns against the Panthers in this Dec. 29 game.
McMillan has spent a lot of time in the weight room working on his strength and conditioning. “Definitely to get stronger, get faster, get smarter, just keep my circle tight,” McMillan said of his goals. “I think I was on a great run last year so just continuing that and not falling off.”
Evans may be right. It’s potentially the best group of receivers he has played with.
But how does this position group measure up to other Bucs teams?
In Evans’ rookie year in 2014, he and Vincent Jackson each produced 1,000-yard receiving seasons. Evans had 68 receptions on 122 targets for 1,051 yards and 12 touchdowns while Jackson had 70 receptions for 1,002 yards and two touchdowns. The Bucs’ third receiver that year was Louis Murphy, who contributed 31 receptions for 380 yards and two TDs.
As a group, the 2018 receiving corps was pretty deep and productive. Evans of course led the way with 86 receptions for 1,524 yards and eight touchdowns. Godwin compiled 59 receptions for 842 yards and seven TDs. Adam Humphries was second on the team with 76 receptions for 816 yards and five TDs. But the Bucs also had DeSean Jackson, whose 18.9 yards per catch led the NFL. He finished with 41 receptions for 774 yards and four touchdowns.
Scotty Miller became one of Tom Brady's favorite targets in the quarterback's first season with the Bucs. [ DOUGLAS R. CLIFFORD | Times ]
By the time Tom Brady arrived, the Bucs tandem of Evans and Godwin were well established. But midway through the 2020 season, it was Scotty Miller who was leading the team in receiving yards.
All that changed when Antonio Brown came off suspension and was dynamic the second half of the season. Evans did his thing with 70 receptions for 1,006 yards and 13 TDs. Godwin had 65 catches for 840 yards and seven TDs. Miller wound up with 501 yards and three scores. But Brown caught 45 for 483 yards and four TDs in only half a season.
Of course, that doesn’t include tight end Rob Gronkowski, who tied for second with seven TDs and added 45 catches for 623 yards.
There have been other prolific receiving combos for the Bucs. Keyshawn Johnson, Keenan McCardell and Joe Jurevicius won Super Bowl 37 together.
Kevin House and Gerald Carter did some damage for some bad teams in the 1980s. Mark Carrier joined Carter and Bruce Hill into the 1990s. There were strong individual performances by Mike Clayton and Lawrence Dawsey.
But assuming they all remain relatively healthy? If you believe in the past of Evans and Godwin and the promise of McMillan and Egbuka, get ready to see the Bucs’ best collection of receivers since … maybe ever?
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Rick Stroud is a sports reporter covering the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Reach him at rstroud@tampabay.com.
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