Jets Draft Target: Washington Receiver Jalen McMillian
With the new NFL year finally underway, the New York Jets continue to take care of business when it comes to building their team for the upcoming season.
Despite remaining mostly quiet throughout the league's legal tampering period, the Jets made a splash on Wednesday morning when trading for Baltimore Ravens right tackle Morgan Moses. In the process they helped to partially fill one of the most prominent holes on their roster.
While the Jets will undoubtedly remain active in seeking veteran free agent help in the coming weeks, a major portion of their attention will now pivot to April’s draft — and, perhaps another position of need.
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As this year’s class is considered to be rich in pass-catching talent, the receiver-needy Jets may look to the mid-rounds to secure some much-needed assistance for quarterback Aaron Rodgers. One name they may be smart to consider is Washington wideout Jalen McMillan.
Throughout his four years with the Huskies, the 6-1, 197-pound receiver played in 37 games. McMillan logged 2,119 yards on 158 catches with 16 touchdowns. He also carried the ball five times for 37 yards and one rushing score. The 22-year-old possesses a blend of size and speed which allows him to be effective both in the slot and along the perimeter. He is an above-average route runner, with the break speed to be effective in gaining yards after the catch. Overall, he projects as a solid, complementary option at the pro level and would assimilate nicely into the Jets offense.
In the wake of Rodgers’ season-ending torn Achilles in Week 1 last season, New York’s pass-catchers struggled due to poor quarterback play and ineffective talent management. In fact, Pro Football Focus ranked them 31 of 32 NFL teams. The exception to the rule, star receiver Garrett Wilson, caught 95 passes for 1,042 yards and three touchdowns.
However, the Jets failed to receive notable contributions from the remaining components of their positional depth chart — most notably Allen Lazard, who despite signing a four-year, $44 million deal with New York last offseason, logged only 23 catches for 311 yards and one touchdown.
In addition to Wilson and Lazard, the Jets currently employ Xavier Gipson, Jason Brownlee, Irvin Charles, Lance McCutcheon and Malik Taylor on their depth chart.
