Bucs rookie receiver Jalen McMillan is earning Baker Mayfield’s trust

TAMPA ― Jalen McMillan saw the football in the air and elevated over the head of Christian Izien, plucking the pass from Baker Mayfield just above the helmet of the Bucs defensive back.

McMillan landed in the corner of the end zone, tapping his toes in bounds for a spectacular touchdown during Thursday’s training camp practice.

The rookie receiver from Washington found the end zone again during a two-minute drill and let loose a primal scream that echoed off the walls of Advent Health Training Center.

It’s only been two training camp practices, but the Bucs appear to have a receiver set to soar into stardom.

“One of my biggest goals in 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 bring it in and just make myself be a target for him.”

It may be too soon to anoint McMillan a rookie of the year candidate. He first has to win the No. 3 receiver spot over second-year pros Trey Palmer and Rakim Jarrett, and veteran Sterling Shepard, Mayfield’s former Oklahoma teammate who also found the end zone twice Thursday.

But the hype about McMillan seems warranted. He has size at 6-foot-1, 192 pounds. He has 4.47-second speed in the 40-yard dash and runs routes so smoothly it’s as if he’s on rails.

Only a recurring knee injury last season forced McMillan’s draft stock to plummet to the third round.

He also has the advantage of being mentored by veteran receivers Mike Evans and Chris Godwin.

“When I came in, I had Mike, I had (Desean Jackson) and I had Adam Humphries,” Godwin said. “I had a good group of guys ahead of me that helped show me how to be a pro. I see a lot of those same things in Jalen. He has a real good feel for the game. You can tell that already, just the way he moves. He’s coming in playing with confidence, and he’s done a good job of taking the advice of the vets

“... He definitely still has a long way to go, but I would tell him today I really appreciate his enthusiasm for the game. He makes a big play and likes to celebrate. We’re trying to get more of that. It’s not just business as usual. If you score a touchdown, let’s celebrate. This is fun. I think he’s off to a really good start, but again, it’s Day 2. You’ve got the preseason games and then the regular season games. But he’s off to a good start, and I think he’s a great addition to our group.”

Godwin may be right in suggesting everyone pump the brakes on McMillan, except the Bucs already recognize his potential value as the No. 3 receiver in Liam Coen’s offense.

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When the Bucs won Super Bowl 55, it wasn’t until Antonio Brown arrived that the passing game became unstoppable. Last season, the Bucs never really found someone to take the heat off Evans and Godwin. Palmer presented a deep threat with straightaway speed, but his route-running and hands were inconsistent. He caught 39 passes for 385 yards and three touchdowns, but the 9.9-yard average wasn’t anything special.

McMillan’s arrival has allowed Coen to move Godwin back inside as the slot receiver, though McMillan has the versatility to play anywhere.

“We knew he had outstanding hands and competitiveness,” head coach Todd Bowles said. “We know he can play all three spots. Obviously, you’ve got Trey (Palmer) and (Rakim Jarrett) and a lot of guys in there playing. But we’re high on him. He’s very smart, 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 that he can do to put in the offense to help us, and as we get two or three weeks in we’ll see that.”

Evans was alerted to McMillan’s maturity when he walked into the team hotel the night before training camp and saw McMillan holding a walk-through with a couple of other young receivers and joined in.

“Back at Washington, we did walk-throughs for an hour and thirty sometimes,” McMillan said. “At first, I didn’t like it. But then, as I started memorizing plays better and knowing splits, details, and the ins and out of plays, it became second nature. So, me and (tight end) Devin (Culp) would always go off a script, probably two at a time, so we just knew it like the back of our hand. It made it easy to visualize.”

Mayfield, who says “‘J-Mac’ is a stud,” already has developed chemistry with the Bucs’ newest receiver.

“Obviously, he’s somebody I looked up to, just watching him while I was growing up,” McMillan said. “It’s something crazy for him to be able to be my quarterback now. But ever since Day 1, he’s been giving me a lot of game.

“During routes on air, he’ll make sure that I go with him so we can get a good timing down. He’s giving me small tips on my game and his game, too, so I can adjust. He’s a great leader. He just knows how to put the ball in the right place.”

That’s why prayers like the one Mayfield tossed high into the air on the fade route Thursday have a much better chance of being answered.

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