Bucs rookie receiver Jalen McMillan is now 16 weeks into his skilled profession, and he already has skilled some vital highs and a few relative lows. After his five-catch, 57-yard efficiency on Sunday night time he’s now as much as 27 catches for 336 yards and 5 touchdowns whereas averaging 13.6 yards per catch.
He already has probably the most landing receptions for a rookie receiver in Tampa Bay since Mike Evans in 2014. McMillan may seize the highest spot since Evans’ debut in receptions and yards with simply six grabs and 190 extra yards. Amongst rookie receivers, he’s now ninth in targets (47), and catches, eleventh in yards and tied for third in landing catches. Be mindful he was the thirteenth receiver taken on this yr’s draft.
Bucs WR Jalen McMillan – Picture by: Cliff Welch/PR
By any affordable measure, McMillan has had a strong rookie marketing campaign. However for some time it didn’t seem like he was going to fulfill the lofty expectations that had been thrust upon him throughout coaching camp. In current weeks although, the younger cross catcher is coming into his personal.
For the reason that bye week, McMillan is averaging 3.4 catches for 45.4 yards and 0.8 touchdowns per sport whereas averaging 1.49 yards per route run. Given that he’s beginning to escape I believed it is likely to be enjoyable to have a look at the scouting report I had for him popping out of school and examine the participant I believed he might be to the participant he’s growing into.
Jalen McMillan’s Strengths
I famous that, whereas he was not a velocity service provider, Jalen McMillan may win downfield as a result of his easy actions as a route runner. I additionally described him as a plus in opposition to zone protection along with his potential to search out holes and make himself obtainable to his quarterback. What made McMillan most harmful was his fast chopping potential that helped him create simple separation.
This yr, amongst Bucs receivers with not less than 50 routes, McMillan is tied with Chris Godwin for the very best common separation on the workforce at 3.2 yards. And his route working has not solely aided him in profitable in opposition to zone, but in addition to find openings in opposition to man protection. Three of his 5 touchdowns have come in opposition to man protection and regardless of having solely about half as many routes in opposition to man protection his yardage is about even when evaluating the 2.
Jalen McMillan All-22 vs the Chargers.
🔥23.1% targets share🔥86.7% route price🔥23.1% goal per route🔥12.7 ADOT pic.twitter.com/pf6OjnCzX2
Jalen McMillan’s Weaknesses
Bucs WR Jalen McMillan – Picture by: USA At this time
The a part of his sport that I used to be most involved with was Jalen McMillan’s potential to catch the ball in powerful circumstances. Whereas he had an excellent 71% catch price his closing yr in Washington, the 2 earlier years had been 66 and 67%, respectively.
However most regarding was McMillan’s lack of manufacturing in contested catch conditions. Throughout his whole collegiate profession, he solely caught 5 of 25 alternatives in contested conditions. That’s a 25% success price. So, when others in contrast McMillan to his new teammate, saying he might be the “next” Chris Godwin, I used to be fairly skeptical. Godwin is without doubt one of the nice catch-on-collision receivers of our time with a profession 59.4% success price in such conditions.
After 15 video games, this seems to be to nonetheless be an space of alternative for McMillan. He has only one contested catch in 9 alternatives. His lone catch in these conditions got here final week in opposition to the Chargers and he had two high-profile misses in opposition to Dallas. Probably the most essential was this dime from quarterback Baker Mayfield that McMillan allowed to be ripped from his arms.
Cowboys CB Jourdan Lewis makes an unimaginable INT & steals a TD from Bucs WR Jalen McMillan.
“IT’S MCMILLAN, HEEEEEE… GOT IT? NO, PICKED OFF BY LEWIS! LEWIS FOUGHT HIM FOR IT AND TOOK IT AWAY!” – Mike Tirico
“That’s a miracle that Jourdan Lewis got that!” – Cris Collinsworth #NFL #SNF
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If he’s ever going to be thought of a high-end receiver within the NFL that is one thing he must enhance upon.
Bucs WR Jalen McMillan – Picture courtesy of Washington
I additionally fearful about his potential to create after the catch. Whereas McMillan had respectable YAC numbers, I used to be extra skeptical of his potential to translate that a part of his sport to the NFL degree. This season he’s averaging 3.8 yards after catch per reception, which ranks 2nd amongst Bucs receivers and tied for forty eighth out of 84 qualifying receivers within the NFL.
It hasn’t been a energy of his sport, however hasn’t been the weak spot I fearful it is likely to be. As a proxy I checked out how efficient he was on display performs, figuring out it wasn’t one thing he excelled at. To this point in his skilled profession he has been focused on 4 screens, catching three for simply 9 yards.
Whereas movement is standard all through the NFL, I argued it might be particularly essential for McMillan to achieve success. As a less-than bodily receiver it may assist him keep away from jams on the line of scrimmage and provides him quick access to the sphere. Properly, in response to NFL Professional, JMac is virtually tied with Sterling Shepard for the very best movement price of the Bucs receiving group.
Transferring Ahead
Bucs WR Jalen McMillan – Picture by: Jeffrey Jones/PR
Jalen McMillan could be profitable as he continues to hone and ideal his route working. Together with his present skillset he could be a completely advantageous complimentary piece in a passing assault.
Zay Jones has by no means been a powerful receiver by contact with comparable measurables. However Jones has by no means topped one thousand yards or 1.5 yards per route run.
If the Bucs’ younger receiver is to surpass this comparable ceiling he’s going to need to change into a extra bodily participant. Till then he’ll proceed to be a promising decrease tier choice for the Bucs and never the alternative for Mike Evans or Chris Godwin the workforce will want in coming years.
But it surely has been good to see him begin to reside as much as the participant I believed he might be eight months in the past.
