Jalen McMillan, a third-round draft pick in 2024, had a very strong finish to his rookie season in Tampa. After working through some injuries in the first half of the season, he hit his stride down the stretch with five straight games of 50-plus yards in the last five weeks. During that same span, he also led all NFL players with seven touchdown receptions. In all, the former Washington receiver had 37 catches for 461 yards and eight touchdowns by season’s end. That compares favorably with the last big receiver hit the Bucs had in the third round, as Chris Godwin finished his debut campaign with 34 receptions for 525 yards and one touchdown before developing into a much higher-volume pass-catcher in the following years.
The Buccaneers added another mouth to feed in their loaded passing attack this spring by drafting Ohio State’s Emeka Egbuka in the first round, but they still have big plans for McMillan, this year and in the future. And the second-year player took his 2024 momentum into the Bucs’ offseason program, drawing early praise from the coaching staff.
On Tuesday, as the Bucs opened a three-day minicamp with a two-hour practice in the morning, McMillan hit a minor speed bump, notably dropping a couple passes and drawing a different sort of attention from Head Coach Todd Bowles. It took McMillan no time at all to get back on track, as he was one of the most productive players on the field on Wednesday morning.
“He caught a lot of balls today,” said Bowles. “He atoned for his two drops yesterday. I think the heat might have got on his back a little bit [Tuesday], and I probably got him a little bit as well. But he came back strong, just like I thought he would, and had a very good day.”
Last season, Bowles noted that McMillan’s slow start to the season, which is obviously not unusual for a rookie, was in part the product of injuries that kept him from the work he needed to do to fully grasp the offense. He took off in the second half after getting more comfortable in the mental part of the game. This offseason, the 6-1, 192-pound receiver is working on getting stronger so he can win more battles near the boundaries and at the line of scrimmage. Bowles can see his improvement in that area, as well.
“I think he’s stronger,” said the coach. “You won’t see it, but he is stronger from a playing standpoint, understanding how to play and understanding the weight program and the conditioning program. I think he’s used to that a lot more now so he’s more comfortable.”
CLICK HERE for images from the Bucs’ second minicamp practice.