Where Does Jalen McMillan Rank Among 2024 Receiver Prospects?

With NFL Draft fans already looking ahead to what appears to be a stacked class of 2024, there are multiple Washington Huskies who are going to be included in that group. National media members are rating Michael Penix Jr., Rome Odunze and Bralen Trice among the top players at their position.

However, there are still quite a few Huskies who are not quite there. One of those players is wide receiver Jalen McMillan. While his running mate Odunze has become a darling of NFL scouts on social media, McMillan, a member of Athlon's Preseason Second-Team All-America unit, has been ignored.

Jalen McMillan and the Washington offense will be problems for everyone again this year.

My takeaways:
🟣YAC ability and contact balance make for a dynamic combo
🟣Excellent body control when attacking the ball
🟣Makes contested catches consistently
pic.twitter.com/fBf2aOYU6i
— Andrew Harbaugh (@AndrewHarbaugh_) June 19, 2023

A former top prospect ranked as high as the nation's 37th overall recruit by 247 Sports, McMillan had a major breakout during the 2022 season under the tutelage of wide receivers coach JaMarcus Shephard. Recording 1,098 receiving yards and nine touchdowns, McMillan had one of the most productive seasons in the history of the University of Washington.

However, the class of 2024 is loaded at the wide receiver position. Ohio State's Marvin Harrison Jr. is being talked about as a potential top-five overall selection and Emeka Egbuka, his running mate from Steilacoom, Washington, is also getting a lot of early hype as a potential first-round prospect.

Outside of Seattle and Columbus, there are a ton of names to consider, including Oregon's Troy Franklin, Texas' Xavier Worthy and Florida State's Johnny Wilson. However, even functioning as the second option in his offense, McMillan has the opportunity to prove to NFL teams that he's worth a high selection.

Since Shephard was hired by Washington, McMillan has noticeably improved. He has refined his route-running ability and, even with his slight frame, is excellent in contested catch situations.

Measuring in at 6-foot-1 and 189 pounds, McMillan should be expected to run in the low 4.4s or high 4.3s in the 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine. His speed shows up on tape, too, as he's able to separate from defenders both while running routes and once he gets the ball in his hands.

With all that being said, by the time the NFL Draft rolls around, there could be as many as five or six receivers taken in the first round. While McMillan's stock might not end up being pushed up that far, he should be selected by the middle of day two at the very latest.

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