Jalen McMillan: Everything you need to know

McMillan is expected to face increased competition for playing time and targets after Tampa Bay used a third-round pick on Ted Hurst in last weekend's 2026 NFL Draft, Scott Smith of the Bucs' official site reports. The Bucs continued to shake up their wide receiver room by selecting Hurst with the 84th overall pick last Friday. Over the offseason, the team has subtracted Mike Evans, who signed with the 49ers in free agency, and added Hurst to a group that still includes Chris Godwin, Emeka Egbuka, McMillan and Tez Johnson. McMillan missed most of last season with a neck injury before making his debut in Week 15. In four regular-season games, McMillan produced a respectable 12-178-0 receiving line on 15 targets. Egbuka faded fast after a big first half of the campaign, and Godwin didn't look anything like his old self after breaking his ankle in 2024. How this depth chart shakes out during training camp and the preseason will be something to watch for an offense that likes to throw the football.

McMillan brought in his only target for 11 yards in the Buccaneers' 16-14 win over the Panthers on Saturday. He finished the 2025 season with 12 receptions for 178 yards on 15 targets and one carry for one yard across four games. A neck injury suffered in a preseason game against the Steelers would end up wiping out most of McMillan's second season, as the fleet-footed wideout didn't make his 2025 debut until Week 15. McMillan went on to record multiple receptions in each of his first three games and even posted one 100-yard effort in Week 17 against the Dolphins, but the small sample functioned almost as another exhibition slate to help him get in some reps ahead of 2026. McMillan should have no restrictions for OTAs and therefore have a good opportunity to bounce back next season, with the possibility of returning to a top-three role in the wideout corps if Chris Godwin and the team can't come to terms on restructuring his onerous 2026 salary and cap hit.

McMillan secured seven of nine targets for 114 yards in the Buccaneers' 20-17 loss to the Dolphins on Sunday. McMillan stepped up in a critical game for the Buccaneers, co-leading the team in receptions while setting the pace in receiving yards and targets. The second-year wideout's yardage tally was also a new career high, and it came in only his third game following a very delayed season debut due to a serious neck injury. McMillan could play a key role again in a Week 18 home matchup against the Panthers that will decide the NFC South title, as well as whether Tampa Bay makes the postseason.