Mike Evans Says He's NFL's Best WR: 'Lot of F--king Great Players...I'll Take Myself'

Tampa Bay Buccaneers star Mike Evans has no problem declaring himself the best wide receiver in the NFL.

Speaking to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler from training camp, the four-time Pro Bowler dismissed any notion he belongs in a discussion of underrated wideouts.

"I know where I'm at," he said. "My opinion matters more than anybody else because I watch all of these guys, and there are a lot of f--king great players. But I'll take myself over anybody. If people were in my situation, there's only five-10 guys in history who have done what I've done. It's been a battle, but I enjoy it."

It's certainly difficult to argue the level of wide receiver play in the NFL has ever been better. There were eight players with at least 1,300 receiving yards last season, the most in a single year since 2018 (10).

Players such as Justin Jefferson, Davante Adams, Ja'Marr Chase, Tyreek Hill and A.J. Brown are matchup nightmares who keep opposing defensive coordinators awake all week trying to game-plan for ways to stop them.

That group doesn't even include non-receivers who are dynamic pass-catching threats like Travis Kelce.

Evans certainly has an argument as the most reliable receiver in the NFL. He's the only player in league history to start a career with nine consecutive seasons of at least 1,000 yards.

The next hurdle for Evans to clear is Jerry Rice's record of 11 straight 1,000-yard seasons. Rice just missed out on starting his career with 12 consecutive seasons with 1,000 yards because he "only" had 927 as a rookie in 1985.

From 1986 to '96, Rice averaged 1,404 yards and 14 touchdowns per season.

Evans is averaging 1,158 yards and nine touchdowns per season since entering the NFL in 2014. He's put up those numbers with a rotating cast of quarterbacks including Ryan Fitzpatrick, Josh McCown, Jameis Winston, Tom Brady and now either Baker Mayfield or Kyle Trask in 2023.