Ben Solak: Buy Stock In Jalen McMillan
July 9th, 2026
Time to fly.
One of the reasons why the Bucs, though distraught, haven’t (yet) checked into mental rehab over Mike Evans bolting the team so he could take a pay cut and pay much more in state taxes is what the Bucs have on the roster.
Sure, the Bucs (finally) have a healthy Chris Godwin. That helps. And the Bucs have Emeka Egbuka, who showed major flashes last year that he could be him.
But it is a guy who was cheap-shotted by a piece of Steelers camp meat that, as a result, a lot of folks forgot about. And that’s Jalen McMillan.
As a rookie, he finished the season strong in 2024 scoring seven touchdowns in the final five games of the regular season. Then last year in a worthless preseason game, McMillan was undercut and landed on his head.
He missed the first 13 games with broken vertebrae in his neck. When he did return against the Dixie Chicks on Thursday Night Football, his first catch was a 20-yard grab at the goal line when he took a vicious shot. His neck proved to be fine.
Solak hasn’t forgotten how McMillan finished the 2024 season and believes McMillan will pick right up and continue his progress.
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.
If McMillan can take that next proverbial step from his rookie year — let’s be real, last year was a wash for him — then the thought of a top-shelf McMillan along with Godwin and Egbuka has Joe salivating for what might be.
And then, just think, in the background Ted Hurst will be lying in the weeds ready to pounce on an opportunity.
Joe can understand why Bucs types have snapped out of their fetal position after the Evans escape.
