Back at the 2017 Pro Bowl in Orlando, Joe was lucky enough to chat 1-on-1 after a practice session with Andy Reid.
The subject was DeSean Jackson, who would become a Buccaneer two months later.
Reid explained to Joe how Jackson was a truly historic receiver for his ability to track deep balls in the air and effectively change his running speed — faster or slower.
That’s why Jackson’s career average of 17.6 yards per catch ranks second-best among receivers whose careers were in the 1990s or later.
Joe was reminded of Reid’s running lesson while listening to the podcast of retired Pro Bowl receiver Steve Smith, Sr., a longtime Bucs rival during his days with the Panthers.
Smith explained that one Hall of Fame trait of Mike Evans is the consistency of his route speed. He’s neither fast nor slow, Smith said, just underappreciated for what he brings to his quarterback.
“What [Evans] does that a lot of people don’t do, is whatever speed he gets to, he’s able to maintain it consistently. And that’s the difference with Mike Evans that’s helped him,” Smith said. “You have some people, they start off fast and they start to teeter at the end. You got some people who speed up and get stronger at the end. “Mike Evans, if he’s 0-to-7, he’s 7 the whole way. And that’s very, very difficult to do, but unique. And that’s what has helped Mike Evans.”
That speed consistency is one reason Evans has been successful, as Cam Newton says, with all kinds and levels of quarterbacks.
Smith noted that Bucs rookie Emeka Egbuka, who Smith ranked as the second-best receiver in the 2025 NFL Draft, won’t be a guy to ever replace Evans because he runs much differently.
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