Former Washington Huskies wide receiver Jalen McMillan signed his rookie contract with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Wednesday.
General manager Jason Licht selected him in the third round with the No. 92 overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft, where McMillan and his teammate, seventh-round pick Devin Culp, will join veterans Vita Vea, Cade Otton, Joe Tryon-Shoyinka and Greg Gaines in Tampa.
McMillan bet on himself and it paid off. After he went down with a knee sprain during Washington’s Week 3 matchup with Michigan State, his draft value was a mystery.
He suffered multiple setbacks during his rehab process and wasn’t able to return for a full game until the team’s mid-November matchup with Utah, but didn’t record a catch until the Apple Cup game against Washington State, where he had 5 receptions for 28 yards.
The former four-star recruit then had a stellar performance in the Pac-12 Championship win over Oregon, leading all receivers with 9 catches for 131 yards. He was a pivotal part of the Sugar Bowl win over Texas with 5 receptions for 58 yards and a touchdown, and he scored Washington’s only touchdown in the NCAA championship game in Houston.
His strong postseason led to him declaring for the draft, where he impressed throughout the pre-draft process in what was considered to be a very strong class of wide receivers.
The details of his contract have yet to be released, but it is projected to be a four-year, $5.6 million deal with a $938,500 signing bonus. Not bad for someone that bet on himself.
Officially part of the Krewe ✍️ pic.twitter.com/nyEOoo3g7y
— Tampa Bay Buccaneers (@Buccaneers) May 29, 2024