In the Buccaneers' 28-13 victory over the Raiders in Week 14, rookie Jalen McMillan had himself a day between the hashes. McMillan, who turned 23 years old today, scored two touchdowns and averaged 14.8 yards-per-catch en route to 59 yards on four receptions. The Bucs 92nd overall pick in April out of the University of Washington has an innate feel for running routes and it showed against the Raiders.
"As a rookie it is so hard to be consistent and we all know what he [McMillan] is capable of – the big plays, the great routes, snatching the ball," said Cade Otton. "I think as the year has gone on, he has gotten more consistent, and I think that the game is slowing down for him. I think he has built more confidence, and it has been awesome to see the growth from him. He is so smooth, and I think he is really efficient in-and-out of his breaks. He always has his head down and is running. He doesn't change his posture much and I think it is a really cool skill and something the coaches definitely saw and drafted him, and it is something that he is bringing to our team."
On the Bucs' first possession, McMillan capped off the 85-yard drive with a 15-yard touchdown. Baker Mayfield pumped a fake screen to Bucky Irving then released the ball to McMillan, who ran a fly route past the cornerback.
"We knew that 18 [Jack Jones] was always driving on routes like that and that is what we did," noted Jalen McMillan. "We schemed it up pretty well."
In the fourth quarter, up 21-13, McMillan put the exclamation mark on the win from third-and-six. With the Raiders' in off coverage, McMillan released then quickly turned on a dime and Mayfield put the ball right on his number. He then turned upfield and as Jones came downhill, Luke Goedeke sealed off the corner for McMillan to have a free dash to the end zone on a 29-yard score.
"It is just the work that I have put in," said McMillan on his ascension. "I have watched Mike [Evans] and Chris [Godwin] put in work and I have just tried to model how I approach every day after them. It is a process, and nothing is going to be perfect but at the end of the day, you have to count your wins and today was a win."
McMillan possesses long-strided speed and creates space in routes with leverage. He is able to con defensive backs with a finesse release package and has elite stop-start capability. McMillan rapidly advances up the field and is effective with polished in-breaking routes. The fluid route runner showcased his developed chemistry with Mayfield on Sunday and helped ignite the Bucs' aerial attack.
