Back at Bucs rookie mini camp, wide receiver Jalen McMillan said that he was looking forward to making some big plays in big moments this season.
“I’m excited to put on a show for you all,” McMillan said then.
At the start of the team’s training camp, that is exactly what he has done.
On Thursday, McMillan was one of the playmakers who stole the show as he was making himself known to the fans in attendance. His teammates have already seen plenty from him, and they continued to be nothing but complimentary of the dynamic that he brings to Tampa Bay’s offense.
Jalen McMillan Has Goals Of Gaining Baker Mayfield’s Trust, Making Pro Bowl
This past Saturday, quarterback Baker Mayfield spoke highly of Jalen McMillan and what he has seen from him this offseason, calling him a “young stud” with “a ton of potential.”
That potential has started to flash two days into training camp, and it is clear that he is already on the same page with Mayfield. The two linked up several times throughout Thursday’s practice, including one for a touchdown in tight coverage.
McMillan’s goal over the next month is to continue establishing trust and a rapport with his quarterback, and he is well on his way.
“One of my biggest goals for camp is to make Baker trust me with everything in his body,” McMillan said. “Whenever he throws the ball my way, I just want to be able to catch it, bring it in, and make myself a target for him.”
The rookie wide receiver also spoke about the relationship he has been building with the veteran quarterback.
Cornerback Zyon McCollum has had the unique perspective of going against McMillan at practice, and he shared that the rookie plays and acts more like a veteran.
“He’s savvy,” McCollum said. “I mean, he runs routes a little bit like a vet. He comes up to me and we talk ball a lot. He beats me on a couple, he tells me where he got me, and when I get him, he asks me what I see. Did I know what route it was going to be? Things like that. He already has a mindset where he’s trying to make plays and trying to act like a vet.”
McCollum will also be pushing him to accomplish another one of his goals this season.
“He already told me he’s going for the Pro Bowl this year, so I’m going to challenge him every single day in practice and help him complete his goal,” McCollum added.
How Much Of A “Dawg” Will Jalen McMillan Be For Bucs In 2024?
For Jalen McMillan to reach his goals in his rookie year will mean extensive hard work on the field as well as mastering Liam Coen’s offensive playbook. To be successful in Coen’s offense means one must be a lot of things, but most importantly, it means being “a dawg.”
It will take time before McMillan truly takes off, and as the offense discovers what he can do, he is a dawg waiting to be unleashed.
“He’s still developing right now,” head coach Todd Bowles said. “We know he has outstanding hands and competitiveness, and we know he can play all three spots. You have Trey [Palmer] and Rak[im] Jarrett and a lot of guys in there playing, but we’re really high on [McMillan].
“He’s very smart, he’s very competitive, and he has a motor that doesn’t stop. That’s only going to help us. I think we’re still unwrapping the things he can do to put in the offense to help us. We get a good two or three weeks in, you’ll see more of that.”
As it currently stands, Jalen McMillan is the No. 3 wide receiver on the Bucs depth chart, and the likely beneficiary of a lot of targets coming from Baker Mayfield in his rookie year. The future for him is bright, and it is evident that his talent has been illuminating out on the practice field.
