To round out Day 2 of the 2024 NFL Draft the Bucs added another talented wideout to the mix by taking Washington wide receiver Jalen McMillan with the 92nd overall pick.
With the wide receiver room lacking much experience and production behind Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, Tampa Bay hopes that they found an NFL-ready contributor in McMillan, who can take some of the load off the veteran duo and make defenses game plan to contain a lethal trio.
After being taken by the Bucs, McMillan spoke about how excited he is to join the team and contribute – while also becoming the latest Tampa Bay Huskaneer on the roster.
Jalen McMillan Excited To Team Up With New Bucs Teammates
When speaking to the media about joining the Bucs, Jalen McMillan gave his initial reaction to playing alongside Mike Evans and Chris Godwin on the football field.
“It’s surreal,” McMillan said. “I’ve been watching them for God knows how long. Just to be able to be in the same offense as them and to learn from them, I’m going to take in everything I need to take in and follow in their footsteps.”
Not only will he be learning from two top-tier talents at the position, but he will also be hauling in passes from quarterback Baker Mayfield, who firmly established himself as a starting quarterback during his first season in Tampa Bay.
“It’s going to be really, really good,” McMillan said about playing with Mayfield. “His confidence is going to make my confidence soar. I watched him at Oklahoma and just watched him ball. Just the way he plays the game and his swagger and everything that comes with him is something that I aspire to be.”
What will help McMillan get used to things at the NFL level is the fact that he will not be the only Washington Husky on the roster and factoring in the passing game. Both Cade Otton and seventh-round pick Devin Culp join him on offense at the tight end position, while he can also connect with defensive linemen Vita Vea and Greg Gaines as well as outside linebacker Joe Tryon-Shoyinka on defense.
“I played with Cade [Otton] for a little bit – me and him were cool,” McMillan said. “I learned from him when it came to catching because he always caught with no gloves. Just watching that was kind of inspiring. I knew Joe [Tryon-Shoyinka] but Joe was a year before me. I’m pretty sure we’ll connect when I get to Tampa, but obviously, I can’t wait to be with those guys and can’t wait to learn from Cade [Otton]. And, Tampa, [they are] a physical team that loves to throw the ball. I’m excited to get there and be a pass catcher.”
Jalen McMillan Brings Versatility And Leadership To Bucs’ Offense
When looking at what Jalen McMillan’s role might be in the Bucs’ offense, there will be a lot of similarities to playing with the Huskies last season. The team boasts two top receivers and a handful of tight ends that can also contribute. For McMillan, that means that he will have to showcase his playmaking ability in a variety of ways.
“I know that I’m a versatile receiver, I know that I’m an outside and a slot [receiver] – I can play whatever,” McMillan said. “I’m ready to contribute, I’m ready to make plays, and I’m ready to do whatever they need me to do.”
After dealing with a knee injury last season that kept him out of a couple of games and limited him in others, McMillan was not fully able to return to his 2022 form, a season where he had 79 catches for 1,098 yards and nine touchdowns. While his production dipped as a result, his toughness to play through injury is something that stood out to the Bucs, backing his claim as being a leader.
“I bring leadership, as well,” McMillan added. “I love to focus on the relationships that I build. I love to be the guy that’s always checking in on people and making sure everybody is good. I want to be that guy that comes to the locker room and that can draw attention in a positive way and bring great energy to that locker room.”
Bucs Assistant GM John Spytek Breaks Down Jalen McMillan Pick
In such a deep wide receiver class, the Bucs still had their pick of plenty of talented players at the position when they were on the clock at No. 92.
After deciding on Jalen McMillan, assistant general manager John Spytek further broke down the decision-making process of making McMillan their guy.
“On a team with two really good receivers, obviously one that went in the top 10 (Rome Odunze) and another one that went really early in two (Ja’Lynn Polk), it still was really easy to see him,” Spytek said. “A lot of times I think that guy can be forgotten about, but his athleticism, the way he naturally runs routes – he plays like the game makes sense to him. There’s a smoothness and easiness to his game that you really appreciate.
“He makes some of the things that I think are more challenging for the receiver position look fairly simple. Had it not been for the injury this year, I think he would have had no chance to be where we just picked him. He missed some games this year with an injury, trying to fight through it, he had 1,000 yards last year [in 2022], which is pretty impressive. When you talk to the people in that building, they had a high level of respect for Jalen and thought that he was really similar and close to the level of player that both Rome and the other Ja’Lynn were.”
In fact, McMillan led the Huskies in catches and receiving touchdowns in 2022 with 79 receptions for 1,098 yards (13.9 avg.) and nine TDs. Odunze had 75 catches for 1,145 yards (15.3 avg.) and seven scores that year. Last year while missing four games due to injury, McMillan posted 49 receptions for 599 yards (12.4 avg.) and five TDs and was Washington’s third-leading receiver.
Tampa Bay could have a steal on their hands with McMillan, who went under the radar compared to the other Huskies’ wide receivers entering the NFL. His skillset has drawn comparisons to Chris Godwin, who was a third-round pick by the Bucs back in 2017.
Now, McMillan will get his chance to compete and meet the high expectations that Spytek and the rest of the team have for him.
“He definitely can line up outside, he can spell Mike at X,” Spytek said on where McMillan will line up. “He can run a lot of the routes that we ask for in the slot to spell Chris. We’ll see, we’ll get him in here to compete.”
Spytek continued: “His route-running is very, very fluid. We talked to several DBs throughout the process when you ask them like, ‘Who was the hardest cover that you’ve had all year?’ Several of them mentioned him just because he’s such a good athlete, such a good feel for running routes. That combination makes it an extremely hard cover. He has great hands, he can run – I mean he’s a low 4.4 guy on our watch – but he’s still big. High expectations for him, he’s played football at a high level.”
Simply put, the Bucs are getting a self-proclaimed baller in Jalen McMillan who is ready to show that other teams passing up on him was a big mistake.
“I can’t wait to be a part of this organization,” McMillan said. “You’re going to get a baller. You’re going to get a guy that’s confident. You’re going to get a gem in the draft. I can’t wait to be a part of this organization and make plays for everybody.”
