Browns 2024 Combine Prep: Husky Wide Receivers Ja'Lynn Polk and Jalen McMillan
The Washington Huskies had the most elite passing attack in America this past season. The three-headed monster of Rome Odunze, Ja'Lynn Polk, and Jalen McMillan were hard to stop with quarterback Michael Penix Jr. under center. It's not only rare that a team's entire skill group gets drafted, but also that an skill group gets picked in the first 60 picks of the NFL Draft.
That may be the case for this pack of Huskies.
While Odunze and Penix may be selected high in the first round, both Polk and McMillan could wind up being legitimate options for Cleveland at 54.
Out of the two, Polk has the leg up in my book. While I think that both are fantastic players, given the choice between the two, I'm taking Polk.
Polk was unbelievable in 2023. He finished the season with nine touchdown catches to go along with his 1,159 receiving yards. He notched seven 100-plus yard games with his best being a five-catch, 148-yard, two-touchdown game against Stanford.
He has arguably the strongest hands in the entire wide receiver draft class. Draft expert Field Yates called his hands "vice grips" and said "I’m not just talking about miracle catches… I’m talking about a guy who just consistently claws the football."
At 6'2, Polk proved that he can stretch the field vertically but isn't afraid to roam across the middle. What he lacks in quickness, he makes up for in straight-line speed and an uncanny ability to snatch the football. Polk is a guy who could come in and add an immediate impact to the Brown's offense.
As for McMillan, when healthy he showed to have the explosive gene that both Polk and Odunze also possessed. McMillan stands at 6'1 and has blazing speed, speed that can be game-changing at the next level.
What I love most about McMillan's game is that he is a proven winner from the slot. Not every wide receiver can be effective on the outside and in the slot, but McMillan is the kind of guy who can be.
The downside to McMillan is that he has been injury-prone, especially in 2023. He appeared in only seven games for the Huskies but his production didn't suffer. In those seven games, he had four games over six catches and two games over the 100-yard mark.
His fit in Cleveland might align more with what the Browns are building on offense. He could be a guy to run along with Elijah Moore with the ability to be a number one with Amari Cooper.
That's the story on Polk and McMillan hailing from the Upper Northwest and the Cleveland Browns may have a chance to pick either in the second round of this year's NFL Draft.
