The long wait is over as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and other teams around the league are reporting for training camp today. Rookies are expected to be in the building today for the Bucs with veterans arriving tomorrow. Cleats are laced up and pads will be on and the road to the Super Bowl begins now.
This will be our first opportunity to really see these rookies in a Buccaneers uniform. I know I will be watching them very closely throughout camp because this rookie class is expected to pay a crucial role this season. The Bucs first five draft picks are all expected to get significant playing time with clear roles they are expected to assume.
But is it really fair to expect so much from guys who have never taken an NFL snap? In short, it’s a little of yes and a little of no. In this series I will look at realistic expectations for each of the Buccaneers rookies this year.
Jalen McMillan
Of all the Buccaneers rookies this year, I think Jalen McMillan will be the most impactful. Perhaps not right away considering he has the likes of Mike Evans and Chris Godwin ahead of him, but I loved this pick for the Bucs. I truly believe that McMillan will be one of those special franchise altering players.
In the mean time, he will be looking to make an impact in an already strong wide receiver room. This will be no easy task with the guys ahead of him; including 2023 rookie Trey Palmer. However, I believe McMillan will be able to make an impact for the Buccaneers right away.
Where McMillan really shines is in the slot. This is also where Godwin is at his best, so that is the direct barrier to playing time for McMillan. But that might not be the problem that some expect in this new Bucs offense.
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Every indication is that the Bucs want to run more wide receiver heavy packages and less two tight end alignments. This means there will often be three or four wide receivers on the field at a time. So Godwin can be in the slot on one side and McMillan could be on the other.Â
Assuming that McMillan can get on the field like I think he’ll have the opportunity to, he will be impactful. Coaches have raved about his smooth route running and his ability to find the holes in a defense. He is a natural separator who was a key piece of the explosive University of Washington offense that went to the national championship game.
I won’t be surprised at all if McMillan gets more targets as a rookie than Palmer does this year. Keep in mind, these are two extremely different skill sets for receivers. It’s logical that McMillan will get more opportunities in the short and intermediate passing range than Palmer will with his elite speed in the deep passing game (especially considering that Baker Mayfield isn’t a great deep ball passer).
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To put numbers on what a rookie wide receiver will do is a tricky task. But my best guess is that McMillan has a similar year to Green Bay Packers receiver Dontayvion Wicks or Seattle Seahawks receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba did in their rookie seasons last year. My projection:
45 receptions, 580 receiving yards, 6 receiving touchdowns.
Regardless of exactly how his rookie season plays out, I am very high on McMillan in this Bucs offense. Mike Evans will always be the number one option, but this could be a natural Godwin replacement for next year. McMillan could also be a future number one option in Tampa Bay when Evans finally hangs up the cleats.
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