With Mike Evans departed, there are clear opportunities for younger Bucs pass catchers to carve out bigger roles in the offense. And ESPN analyst Ben Solak is backing third year receiver Jalen McMillan for that moniker on Tampa Bay’s roster.

What Solak Has To Say

Breakouts occur when opportunity meets talent. Solak notes the relatively little opportunities McMillan has had over his first two seasons due to injury. But if he can remain healthy in 2026, the opportunities should be there for the former third round draft pick. And the talent has been there all along.

“I have not been shy about my lofty expectations for second-year wide receiver Emeka Egbuka, who I think can lead the league in receptions with coordinator Zac Robinson now calling the plays. But Egbuka was splitting No. 3 receiver snaps last season with McMillan, who is an impressive receiver in his own right.

McMillan, like Egbuka, saw most of his rookie season limited by hamstring issues. And McMillan’s 2025 sophomore season was also almost nonexistent because of a preseason neck injury.

If McMillan can stay on the field, he is the best candidate for outside receiver snaps. And he has the large radius and spectacular catch ability that the Bucs need following the departure of Mike Evans. Chris Godwin Jr. won’t fall out of the lineup entirely — he’s too reliable — but McMillan brings enough juice as a run blocker to eat into those snaps, too.”

Bucs WR Jalen McMillan – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

The Opportunities Available To McMillan

McMillan should start the season as one of the Bucs’ top three receivers, along with Chris Godwin Jr. and Emeka Egbuka. That should give him plenty of snaps and finally allow him to establish himself as young star in the NFL. I share Solak’s optimism for McMillan, going so far to say he was on the precipice of a burgeoning breakout in a recent edition of my Cover-4 series.

While Solak notes that his analysis is based on McMillan’s ability to play on the outside, I am staking my claim based on his ability to win in man coverage. That was something Egbuka and Godwin struggled to do last year.

Since entering the league in 2024, McMillan has caught 64% of his targets in man coverage for 262 yards and three touchdowns while averaging 10.5 yards per target. He has been able to win in these situations at all three levels of the field. Over the same time period Godwin has the same yardage and touchdowns but only gets 7.9 yards per target.

Bucs WR Jalen McMillan – Photo by: Nathan Ray Seebeck -Imagn Images

McMillan put up the same yardage on almost 25% fewer targets. A big reason for that is that Godwin’s a threat mostly on short option routes, limiting where and how he can be deployed. Meanwhile, Egbuka struggled against man coverage in his rookie campaign, catching just 26% of his targets while averaging just 3.9 yards per target.

2026 is a pivotal season for McMillan. It’s a chance for him to finally establish himself or continue his trend of showing glimpses of a special player who always finds an obstacle to cementing himself. The underlying flashes have been there. This is the year he takes the jump.