Bold talk from a Bucs’ rookie receiver. But he’s not running smack.
Monday, Sara Walsh of NFL Network (and Gulf High School) was at One Buc Palace. She’s a regular there and has seen Jalen McMillan light up the Bucs’ defense in underwear football and training camp. Walsh also has heard Bucs types rave about McMillan.
With Trey Palmer “sore,” to use Todd Bowles’ description, it seems the starting No. 3 receiver for the Bucs on Sunday against the Commandos likely will be McMillan. That’s what Walsh believes and said so during an appearance last night on “The Insiders.”
(A few hours later, the Bucs’ depth chart came out and sure enough, McMillan is the No. 3 receiver.)
Walsh first wanted to know why McMillan and Baker Mayfield have clicked so well. In short, McMillan told Walsh he balls out in practice and Mayfield recognizes that.
Baker trusts him implicitly.
“‘My third day of spring practice, we had no pads on,'” McMillan told Walsh. “‘Baker threw me an uncatchable ball and in my head, I’m going to lay out and catch this uncatchable ball.’ And he did.
“And he said, since then, every goal of his is is to catch everything Baker has thrown his way. And so far, the reviews are is that he has done that.”
Walsh added, “There have been rave reviews about this guy.”
So she asked the Bucs’ rookie, no stranger to playing with excellent receivers in college, how good are the Bucs’ receivers?
“McMillan told me he believes they should be tops in the league,” Walsh said.
Well, that’s no stretch. Mike Evans is elite. Chris Godwin is a former Pro Bowler returning to the position where he had his greatest success.
Then there is McMillan.
If what Joe has seen is the real McMillan, NFL defenses will have their hands full with the Bucs.
