Pro Football Focus loves lists. And rankings. Their business is to grade, tabulate, and rank NFL players. And they have all the metrics necessary to accomplish this.
After the 2025 season, every position
group is ranked and categorized.
RELATED: WR ALEC PIERCE FREE AGENCY FRENZY
The receiver groups of every NFL team were scrutinized and ranked. Was the room a premier unit for Cleveland this past season? Yeah, right. Before the season began, the entire group had only one Pro Bowl.
Browns receiver room ranking according to PFF? #32. Out of 32. Yeah, that.
And that is just one group for the Cleveland Browns with issues on the offensive side of the ball. Everywhere you looked, there were problems with the offensive line, injuries with running backs, and also the tight end group. And that didn’t even touch the quarterbacks.
The run game was ranked #27, while the passing department ranked #31.
The receiver room has got to change. The star of the show, Jerry Jeudy, had 1,229 yards on 145 targets with 90 catches in 2024. Last year, those stats plummeted to 50 receptions for 602 yards. Which are pedestrian numbers.
The rest of the group was as follows: Ced Tillman – 21 receptions for 270 yards, Isaiah Bond – 18 catches for 338 yards, and Malachi Corley – 11 receptions for 79 yards. One word: Pathetic.
Mike Evans of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers has been in the league for quite a while. He is a free agent this year and appears to be looking for a new home. He is highly decorated and played 12 years in the league. His 6’-5” height has always been an advantage, and yes, he has slowed a bit.
Could he come in and help Cleveland? He still has wheels and is coming off a hamstring injury, a concussion, and a broken clavicle. He currently owns two NFL records: 11 consecutive 1,000-yard receiving seasons to begin an NFL career, and 11 consecutive 1,000-yard receiving seasons (tied).
The top three receivers in this year’s free agent class are George Pickens (Cowboys), Alec Pierce (Colts), and Evans. Any one of these paired with Jeudy would improve the dynamics of the Browns’ receiver room instantly.
The free agent period officially begins March 9th with a three-day tampering period prior. All 2025 NFL player contracts will expire at 4:00 p.m. The 2026 league year and free agency period begin at March 12 at 4:00 p.m. (Eastern).
Here’s a receiver the Browns should look hard at signing during the free agency frenzy.
WR Mike Evans
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
PFF ranking: 69.8
NFL draft: 2014 Round 1, pick #7 (Buccaneers)
Accolades: First Team All-SEC (2013), Consensus All-American (2013), NFL All-Rookie Team (2014), six-time Pro Bowler (2016, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2023, 2024), two-time Second-Team All-Pro (2016, 2023), Super Bowl champion (2020)
2025 season: 8 starts, 30 receptions, 62 targets, 368 yards, 3 touchdowns, 23 first down catches, 12.3 yards per reception average, YAC 37, 357 snaps (65%)
——————————————————————————-
First of all, Evans has played 12 seasons. Except for last year, he eclipsed the 1,000-yard plateau in his first 11 years. With the injuries this past season, he didn’t come close to that, and broke an impressive streak that only one other person has achieved. A guy named Jerry Rice.
His best year was in 2018 when he had 1,524 yards with eight touchdowns. In 2016, he led the league in targets with 173.
Evans is now healthy after three injuries last season. He came back in Week 15 and finished the remainder of the season, so Cleveland shouldn’t just look at last year’s stats and be scared off. Yes, he is on the wrong side of 30. And yes, he no longer has that 4.5 speed. But Evans should have 2-3 years of good production ahead of him.
What would the Browns’ offense look like with Evans paired with Jeudy, Bond, Corley, and tight end Harold Fannin?
Evans was a high school basketball star and has always had the ability to time his jump and box out linebackers and safeties. He is a major playmaker who is physical with strong hands. Functionally strong to power through the jam. Very strong after the catch with 1,863 career YAC in his toolbox.
His height is a definite Red Zone threat and is almost unstoppable with the back shoulder pass. He is not going to out-race anybody and no longer has the good separation ability he once had. He can also lose his temper at times in games and has always been an average blocker.
Evans has a knack for tracking the ball in flight and can dominate press cornerbacks. His 2025 base salary was $1.26 million, and his cap hit was $25.36 million.
Jeudy’s cap hit was $10.37 million last year, so $13 million for a proven talent who has six Pro Bowls and 11 1,000-yard seasons seems like a pretty good deal.
