The Washington Huskies wide receivers have been a force on Montlake for the last two seasons and are now looking to take their talents to the NFL. Jalen McMillan in particular has seen a surge of attention recently and may have gone overlooked by many due to an injury that kept him from playing the majority of the 2023 season.
McMillan was looking to build on a very successful 2022 season, where he pulled in 79 receptions for 1089 yards and 9 touchdowns and established himself as quarterback Michael Penix Jr.’s second option behind Rome Odunze.
A knee injury he sustained during Washington’s matchup at Michigan State early last season sidelined the junior after a hot start that saw him snag 20 catches for 311 yards and 3 touchdowns to start the season.
He appeared to return to full strength during Washington’s 34-31 win over Oregon in the Pac-12 championship game when the Fresno, California native hauled in 9 receptions for 131 yards and was the game’s leading receiver.
The combination of his injury and the emergence of Ja’Lynn Polk, who shined in his absence, clearly affected McMillan’s draft stock. While it appeared he always planned on entering the draft, he knew a strong performance in the College Football Playoff could further boost his stock.
He went onto to record 5 receptions for 58 yards and a touchdown in the 37-31 win over Texas in the Sugar Bowl. Then in the national championship game, he was the only Husky to score a touchdown in the 34-13 loss to Michigan.
At the NFL combine, McMillan put up strong numbers, with a 4.47 40-yard dash and 10-foot-7 broad jump. But, it was his ability in the on-field drills that caught the eyes of those in attendance.
Since then, he has landed meetings with Dallas Cowboys, Pittsburgh Steelers, San Francisco 49ers, and the Buffalo Bills among others.
With the NFL Draft approaching, top-30 visits for prospects that have piqued a team’s interest are in full swing and McMillan has quite a few on his schedule.
First up are the Cardinals, which would be an exciting fit with Kyler Murray at quarterback, plus the team’s huge need for a receiver with strong route-running ability and good hands. Arizona’s receiver depth chart is concerningly thin after Marquise Brown signed with the Kansas City Chiefs and Rondale Moore was traded to the Atlanta Falcons.
The Carolina Panthers also appear interested, where he would bring more depth to support All Pro Adam Thielen and the newly acquired Diontae Johnson to give second year quarterback Bryce Young much needed support.
Cincinnati would be an intriguing landing spot, where McMillan could add to an already impressive offense headlined by quarterback Joe Burrow and receiver Ja’Marr Chase while the team works on a long term deal with his running mate Tee Higgins, who has been signed to a one year franchise tag.
The Jaguars are strong at receiver, but the addition of McMillan combined with Christian Kirk, Gabe Davis, and Zay Jones, along with tight end Evan Engram, could showcase quarterback Trevor Lawrence’s arm strength and stretch the field.
The last invitation might be the most appealing, as despite winning the last two Super Bowls, Kansas City’s wide receiving corps needs a lot of help, and McMillan would be a perfect fit for the team’s offense.
In the wake of some legal trouble that has surfaced around the team’s top receiver Rashee Rice, McMillan catching passes from Patrick Mahomes might be just what coach Andy Reid needs at Arrowhead Stadium.