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Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ Mike Evans Has Been Most Impressive Rookie WR

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By @davidrumseynfl

Tampa Bay Buccaneers Wide Receiver Mike Evans

Kim Klement – USA TODAY Sports

After 10 weeks of the 2014 NFL season, I’ve seen enough. I know now without a doubt that Tampa Bay Buccaneers rookie Mike Evans is the best wide receiver from the 2014 NFL Draft class. Kelvin Benjamin looked great early and Sammy Watkins has been impressive lately (if he can finish plays instead of showboating). Joe Buck was claiming that Odell Beckham Jr. could be the best of the group during the New York Giants – Seattle Seahawks game on Sunday.

All of those guys are great, but Evans is better. There’s a reason Johnny Manziel was able to chuck up prayers into triple coverage while playing at Texas A&M. Evans took a little while to get going this season, but he has been playing like a true No. 1 receiver the last two games. He has 14 receptions for 249 yards and three touchdowns. More importantly, he’s been targeted 20 times – 11 from Mike Glennon and nine from Josh McCown. Whoever the Bucs’ quarterback is, they are now putting their trust in Evans.

It won’t be surprising at all if Vincent Jackson takes a back seat to the rookie the rest of this season; Evans is still growing and has a very high ceiling. Jackson is still playing at a high level, and I think it’s a good thing Tampa Bay didn’t deal him at the trade deadline like some speculated. Evans can still learn plenty from a veteran as smart as Jackson during the final seven games of the season, even if their team doesn’t have much to play for.

The numbers Evans has put up the past two games aren’t even the most impressive thing about him. He has made some incredible catches, showing off his amazing athletic ability. Late in the game against the Atlanta Falcons, Evans caught a ball over an Atlanta defender as he was being pushed out of bounds. The referee came running in calling an incomplete pass; he seemed sure there was no way Evans could have actually completed the catch. After a Lovie Smith challenge, though, it was clear Evans had simply made a ridiculous catch. The Bucs don’t have much to feel good about this season, but I think they have a real NFL star in Evans. And by the way, he’s only 21.

It takes years to truly evaluate draft classes, but this year’s has already been producing. Evans has a rare combination of size, speed and athleticism. Look for more spectacular plays the rest of the season, and expect his numbers to be better than any other rookie wideout the rest of this season.

David Rumsey is a Tampa Bay Buccaneers writer for RantSports. Follow him on Twitter, and Add him on Facebook or Google.

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