Buccaneers rookie Jalen McMillan has developed down the stretch and has emerged as the team's No. 2 receiver behind Mike Evans in the absence of Chris Godwin (injured reserve). The Washington product has logged four straight games with at least one score, collecting six touchdown receptions during that stretch. He recorded 50-plus receiving yards in each of those contests, as well. His four straight games with a receiving touchdown is tied for the fourth-longest streak by a rookie in NFL history.
"He understands the offense," said Head Coach Todd Bowles. "He's very comfortable right now. He's playing with a lot of confidence. And like I said, when the guys went down early in the year, he's gotten the chance to get his feet wet and understand where he needs to be on the field from a spot standpoint, and the older guys have really helped him out a lot."
McMillan fell to the Bucs in the third round after an MCL sprain in his left knee forced him to miss the middle of the Huskies' campaign in 2023. Now in 2024, he has carved out a role in the Buccaneers' offense as the team makes a playoff push. McMillan provides flexibility along the line of scrimmage in both the slot and out wide. He has impressed for his ability to manipulate coverages by mixing up his release package. McMillan is adept at understanding leverage and switching angles/tempo to generate separation mid-route.
"The way I change angles and certain route stems, defensive backs don 't expect it when you finally do stem a route differently," described McMillan. "It makes them react in a different way and the way I take leverage. If I have an inside route and I am running at a defensive back at his outside shoulder, it is going to make him open up differently than if I were just going to go inside. It is just being creative and finding ways to win and seeing how DBs move to certain maneuvers that receivers do."
He has shown his proficiency on the field in many of the routes that occupy Godwin's back of tricks when he's healthy: Digs, options, curls, out-breakers and fly sweeps. McMillan has outstanding quickness in and out of breaks and has adopted a comprehensive teaching tool to refine his craft. For the chess match that ensues post-snap with a defensive back, McMillan has begun watching NBA tape to add moves into his repertoire. One of the players that McMillan studies routinely is the Mavs' Kyrie Irving, who is known as one of the best ball handlers of all time. He is highly touted for his shot creation and finishing skills, manipulating shot blockers by absorbing contact. McMillan studies his transitions and body language to foster creativity in his own fakes to keep defensive backs guessing across the NFL. The results have paid dividends in Liam Coen's offensive system.
"It helps me off the line [of scrimmage], attacking a shoulder or half a man and then getting him to bite at a certain move whether it is a head or shoulder movement," described McMillan. "Also, just doing things that are opposite of what they think I am going to do. If they are being patient at the line and you just go, then it is going to be confusing to them on their technique because they are trying to be patient. Then if they are resting and hard-pressed, you being patient makes them have to slow down."
His preparation, although unconventional in nature, has sparked a rise in the Tampa Bay rookie sensation. McMillan continues to make himself available in the red zone and moves the chains with long-strided speed.
