Jalen McMillan, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' rookie wide receiver, took part in the team's OTA practice on Wednesday morning, then headed upstairs at the AdventHealth Training Center to take care of some additional business. There, McMillan put pen to paper on his first NFL contract, becoming the fifth of Tampa Bay's seven 2024 draft picks to get his rookie deal done.
McMillan was the second of Tampa Bay's two third-round selections, taken 92nd overall. The Bucs' other third-rounder, defensive back Tykee Smith, inked his rookie deal last Wednesday, while fourth-round running back Bucky Irving, sixth-round guard Elijah Klein and seventh-round tight end Devin Culp all signed during the the team's rookie minicamp. All five received the four-year deal that is standard for all players drafted after the first round.
That leaves the Bucs with just two rookies yet to sign their contracts in first-round center Graham Barton and second-round outside linebacker Chris Braswell.
The Buccaneers anticipate McMillan battling for the primary third receiver role behind Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, a potentially important role given the expectation that the offense will more frequently employ three-receiver packages under new Offensive Coordinator Liam Coen. They believe McMillan can thrive both on the outside and in the slot, both roles at which he got extensive experience over four seasons at the University of Washington.
"He's very competitive, extremely smart, very heady football player, which is what we thought going in," said Buccaneers Head Coach Todd Bowles after a recent practice. "I really can't wait to get the pads on him, get him acclimated and see him play in the summer."
McMillan (6-1, 197) played in 38 games with 23 starts for the Huskies, amassing 164 receptions for 2,143 yards and 17 touchdowns. Despite sharing a Washington offense with wideouts Rome Odunze and Ja'Lynn Polk – the ninth and 37th picks in this year's draft – McMillan led the team with 79 catches for 1,098 yards and nine scores. Though he missed time last season due to a knee injury, he still hauled in 45 passes for 559 yards and five touchdowns, including scores in each of the Huskies' two playoff games.
