PFF names non-Rome Odunze Washington WR as potential Day 2 fit

Understandably, there is a lot of talk about the Jets eyeing Washington wide receiver Rome Odunze in the first round. The Jets have quite the need at wide receiver and Odunze is almost universally considered the No. 2 wide receiver in this class, behind Ohio State’s Marvin Harrison Jr.

But what if the Jets don’t get Odunze or a wide receiver in the first round at all? Could Day 2 be an option? Perhaps, although the Jets currently only have one pick between rounds two and three, No. 72 in the third round. Still, the wide receiver group is very talented in this draft and one was linked to the Jets by Pro Football Focus in their recent look at potential Day 2 fits for each team. He also happens to be a fellow Washington Husky.

That wide receiver is Jalen McMillan, who caught 45 passes for 553 yards and five touchdowns in 2023 for the Huskies, who won the Pac-12 and finished runner-up to the Michigan Wolverines in the College Football Playoff.

McMillan may be sort of an “other” receiver from Washington, behind Odunze and Ja’Lynn Polk and because of a knee injury that cost him four games, but don’t take him for granted. McMillan can step in as a slot receiver. This is a receiver that had almost 1,100 yards in 2022 with nine touchdowns.

PFF’s Dalton Wasserman had this to say about the potential fit of McMillan to the Jets:

The Jets produced the lowest slot receiving grade in the NFL last season. Part of that was because of poor quarterback play, but they could use a legitimate option in the slot. Washington’s Jalen McMillan battled injuries in 2023 but was still productive when he did play and had more than 1,000 yards in 2022. He would give Aaron Rodgers another reliable route runner to work with.

Here’s the summary on McMillan from Dane Brugler of The Athletic in his recently released “The Beast” draft guide:

A three-year starter, McMillan worked primarily out of the slot in former Washington offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb’s spread scheme (91.4 percent of his snaps came inside over the last two seasons). The highest-ranked recruit in the Huskies’ 2020 class, McMillan was Michael Penix Jr.’s top target in 2022, but he went somewhat overlooked in 2023, because of his injury and usage as an underneath weapon (71.1 percent of his catches came within 10 yards of the line of scrimmage). McMillan is a rangy pass catcher (his baseball background as a centerfielder shows) with first-step acceleration and sharp footwork to stair-step or deke coverage at the stem. I want to see him amplify his aggression when the ball is in the air, but he uses his length well to snare throws away from his frame. Overall, McMillan will need to prove he can handle the physicality of playing inside at the next level, but he has three -level potential as a pass catcher and will be an intriguing option for a team that prioritizes length and speed from the slot. Stylistically, his game reminds me of a juiced-up Jakobi Meyers.

Rome Odunze would be a home-run hit for the Jets in round one. If that doesn’t happen, McMillan is a solid fallback option in round three.