Draft Analysis: Jalen McMillan

April 2, 2024 /
  • Height: 6’1″
  • Weight: 197 lb
  • College: Washington
  • Tape watched: Washington State, Boise State, Michigan State, Oregon, Michigan
  • College Comparison: Khalil Shakir

Pros

  • Explosiveness/Acceleration

Jalen McMillan has a suddenness in his start-stop ability that commands attention from creative offensive coordinators. McMillan was often an extension of the run game at Washington. He was used at running back and wildcat quarterback. He was used in motions, screens, and jet hand-offs. Getting the ball in his hands earlier is a great way to pick up big yards.

  • YAC

Hand in hand with his explosiveness, McMillan is a prime candidate to pick up extra yards after the catch. I thought he had adequate lateral agility and the ability to cut through the defense post-catch. He forced 16 missed tackles in 2022.

Midline

  • Route Running

Jalen McMillan does a really nice job of staying square through his routes. He climbs his route stem quickly and efficiently. McMillan does not lose speed on route breaks, making him a lethal slant/post option. Where McMillan fell short for me was his ability to read and react to coverage. He failed to break off routes when the situation called for such. He also can take too long to set up his stem and end up turning his head around to the quarterback far too late.

McMillan has the space to run his stem full-speed to the toes of the defender and make his break, or take the speed cut at his target route depth. He does neither.
  • Hands

With 12 drops in two years, McMillan has improvements to make. Most drops observed were concentration based, or allowing the ball into his chest in an attempt to trap it. I didn’t see an issue with his actual hand catches.

  • Release

McMillan has a nice release repertoire at his disposal. He has quick feet and can explode off the snap. Physical corners can disrupt him, as his play strength is below average.

Cons

  • Frame

On the slender side for receivers, McMillan is a streamline runner who needs to be unbothered throughout his route. If defenders manage to get hands inside on him, he struggles to win. He is driven back often on his run blocks as well.

  • Versatility

Working almost exclusively from the slot his last two years at Washington, Jalen McMillan lack positional versatility that other receivers have in the draft.

Overview

I really like Jalen McMillan’s projection to be a solid 2nd or 3rd option for an NFL team. He has obvious upside with his downfield presence. I think he fits an NFL slot role really well with how he accelerates and attacks angles in his routes. Steadier hands, and an NFL weight room could thrust him into an early contributing role.