San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan has never been shy about singing Mike Evans' praises, and he took things a step further this week, putting the veteran wide receiver in the same class as two players he considers among the best he's ever coached.
Shanahan made the comments on the "Dirty Work" podcast on KNBR, comparing Evans to Julio Jones and Andre Johnson — two Hall of Fame-caliber receivers the coach worked with earlier in his career.
"I mean he's right up there with those guys," Shanahan said. "Those are the two Hall of Fame guys I've coached and Mike will be the third. When it comes to unique, all three of them are freaks, as I like to say, in their own way. With just speed, size, length. What's unique about Mike is he's 6-5, so
he's taller than both of them. But the most unique thing is to be 6-5 with 35-inch arms. That's the 100th percentile for receivers in the league, and it's the 99th percentile for (offensive) tackles. So I think it just shows you the length that he has."
Shanahan didn't stop at physical traits. He pointed to Evans' instincts and competitiveness as the real separator.
"The similarity with all three of those guys is that, yeah they are physical freaks, but the differences, what makes them Hall of Famers is the natural football players they are," Shanahan said. "And I can see that in Mike in just the little time we've had. Just how competitive he is. How tough he is. The feel he has for just how to set a corner up. When to be physical. When to get an edge and use your feet. When to use your arms. It's just something you can just tell he has a knack for."
The praise comes on the heels of a strong Week 1 debut for Evans, who signed with San Francisco in free agency after 12 seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. In the 49ers' 27-7 win, Evans hauled in six catches for 49 yards and a touchdown, converting multiple third downs on the opening drive and adding a red-zone score in the third quarter.
It's not the first time Shanahan has reached for lofty comparisons when discussing his newest weapon. Since Evans arrived in the Bay Area, the coach has repeatedly called him a "Hall of Famer" and a "unique dude," noting he'd never had a receiver quite like him — length, competitiveness and production included — since taking over as 49ers head coach in 2017.
This article originally appeared on Niners Wire: Kyle Shanahan compares 49ers star to 2 'Hall of Famers'
