Patriots draft profile: Jalen McMillan draws comparison to former New England wide receiver

McMillan is a smooth athlete at the receiver position.

The New England Patriots continue their hunt of adding potential playmakers to their offense. Luckily for them, the 2024 NFL Draft features a deep wide receiver class filled with weapons capable of making an impact from very early in their respective pro careers.

One name ti potentially watch includes Washington’s Jalen McMillan, who has drawn comparisons to a former successful Patriots wide receiver during the pre-draft process. With the draft just over a week away, McMillan is currently projected to hear his name called on Day Two, so let’s take a closer look at the receiver to find out what he would bring to the table.

Hard facts

Name: Jalen McMillan

Position: Wide receiver

School: University of Washington

Opening day age: 22 (12/7/2001)

Measurements: 6’1”, 197 pounds, 10” hand size, 32 1/8” arm length, 77 3/8” wingspan, 8.56 Relative Athletic Score

Experience

Career statistics: 38 games (23 starts) | 1,582 offensive snaps, 50 special teams snaps | 164 receptions, 2,143 receiving yards, 17 touchdowns | 9 punt returns, 83 yards

Accolades: All-Pac-12 Honorable Mention (2022)

A star athlete growing up, McMillan dominated on both the gridiron and baseball field — as well as qualifying for the Junior Olympics in eighth grade on the track. Along with his success on the baseball field, McMillan finished his high school football prep career with 260 catches for 5,234 yards and 54 touchdowns in 50 games.

As a four-star recruit, McMillan was highly sought after by many top universities — with some even recruiting him as a dual-sport athlete including baseball. McMillan ultimately committed to Washington where he eventually became a key piece in a dangerous passing attack after redshirting his freshman season in 2020. Entering 2021, McMillan bursted onto the scene in Week 3 where he hauled in 10 catches for 175 yards and a touchdown en route to earning the UW coaches’ offensive player of the game.

McMillan then had a career-year in 2022, finishing with 79 receptions for 1,098 yards and nine scores. The 1,098 yards marked the seventh-most in UW single-season history and third-most in the Pac-12 as he became just the 10th Husky ever to eclipse the 1,000 yard mark in a season. His 79 receptions were also fourth-most ever at UW and was tied for third in the Pac-12.

After his career-year, McMillan battled injuries in 2023 as Washington made the National Championship. McMillan ultimately missed four games but was limited in others as he finished with 45 catches for 559 yards and five scores. He came up big for the Huskies down the stretch, as he recorded nine receptions for 131 yards in the Pac-12 Championship Game, five receptions for 58 yards and a touchdown in the Huskies’ Sugar Bowl win and led the team with six catches, for 33 yards and a score, in the Championship Game.

Draft profile

Expected round: 2-3 | Consensus big board: No. 88 | Patriots meeting: N/A

Strengths: McMillan thrived in his role in Washington’s offense where he was able to use his long speed to glide past defensive backs. Despite operating as mostly a slot receiver, McMillan can threaten defenses vertically with his athletic ability and route tempo. His baseball centerfield background then shows as he’s a strong ball tracker down the field while his 32 1/8” arms allow him to snag passes outside his frame.

While McMillan does have a skinnier frame, he is not shy of operating over the middle of the field and showed his toughness to play through injuries last season. That toughness also shines in the run game as he is willing to block.

Weaknesses: Playing in the Huskies offense, McMillan was able to play off of talented receivers in Rome Odunze and Ja’Lynn Polk. That led to McMillan often receiving free releases out of the slot as he was typically used in motion and bunch sets. With his slighter frame and less-than-ideal functional strength, McMillan may be kept inside at the next level. And while he gutted through injuries he did miss four games this past season.

Lastly, McMillan had 12 drops over the past two seasons with three last season coming on passes 20-plus yards downfield. He also struggled in contested catch situations with a career 20 percent contested catch rate.

Patriots preview

What would be his role? McMillan has been compared to a more souped-up Jakobi Meyers in this pre-draft process due to his craftiness but 4.47-second 40-yard speed. With that in mind, he’ll take on a similar role as Meyers did in Foxboro as an inside/slot receiver with more juice to separate downfield.

What is his growth potential? With his speed and ability to make plays at all three-levels, McMillan should become a useful target in any NFL passing attack. However, as someone who may be restricted to the slot he’ll have to prove he can hold up injury-wise.

Does he have positional versatility? During his time in Washington, McMillan played 67 percent of his snaps in the slot compared to roughly 31 percent out wide. With his aforementioned slighter frame, teams will most likely see him as mostly a slot player at the next level. He also has punt-return experience, averaging 9.2 yards per return on nine attempts.

Why the Patriots? It’s no secret New England made a mistake letting Jakobi Meyers walk in free agency last year, so why not attempt to replace him with a similar, more athletic comp? For a team that needs pass catcher upgrades, adding a player like McMillan would give them a valuable target in a league where offenses need several contributors.

Why not the Patriots? In a reoccurring theme to our other receiver previews, the Patriots may opt for more of a traditional X-receiver in this year’s class over someone who projects mainly in the slot. Plus, with a handful of complimentary receivers already on the roster perhaps they set their sights higher than McMillan if possible.

One-sentence verdict: While there will be concerns about his frame and functional strength, McMillan is a smooth athlete who can make an impact at all three-levels in a NFL passing attack.

What do you think about Jalen McMillan as a potential Patriots target? Jakobi Meyers 2.0? Or not worth the investment given the superior need at the X spot? Please head down to the comment section to share your thoughts.