Plenty of buzz has been generated by rookie wideout Jalen McMillan so far in Tampa Bay Buccaneers training camp.
Bucs quarterback Baker Mayfield didn’t hesitate in tabbing the talk surrounding one of his newest targets as “legit.”
A third-round pick who was the third Washington receiver off the board, McMillan could be a Day 2 diamond, according to Mayfield.
“You’re watching [Ja’Lynn] Polk, you’re watching [Rome] Odunze,” Mayfield told NFL Network Insider Mike Garafolo and NFL Network’s Sara Walsh and Brian Baldinger on Tuesday’s Inside Training Camp Live. “What people don’t realize, he was their leading guy in ’22 before he got hurt. And so, for him to get back to true form -- he’s a stud.”
A 6-foot-1, 197-pounder with 4.47 speed, McMillan is a natural slot receiver who has a knack for getting open and making defenders miss.
During his aforementioned 2022 campaign, McMillan had Huskies team highs of 79 receptions and nine touchdowns with his 1,098 yards trailing only Odunze’s 1,145. A knee injury early in his 2023 season forced him to miss some time and slowed him for much of the year.
Mayfield has been impressed with his slickness on the field, though.
“He’s a guy that runs so smooth,” the quarterback said. “He does some things at the top of his routes -- he’s so friendly to the ball -- that veterans do.”
McMillan is battling Trey Palmer, Rakim Jarrett and Sterling Shepard for the No. 3 WR spot behind perennial standouts Mike Evans and Chris Godwin. As McMillan looks to find a spot next to a pair of Bucs stalwarts, he’s taken up space under the learning tree, as well.
“It’s good to see as a young guy coming in and eager to learn,” Mayfield said. “He’s obviously got a pretty good group to learn from with those guys that we have.”
Might McMillan be the Huskies wide receiver with the biggest bark in 2024? Perhaps.
Optimism is as high as the temperatures in training camp, but so far, McMillan is the real deal in his QB’s eyes.