Inside The Huskies

How the 3 Husky Pass-Catchers Fared as NFL Rookies

Jalen McMillan had scoring receptions in each of his final five regular-season games.

Dan Raley

Ex-Husky wide receiver Jalen McMillan receives congratulations from Baker Mayfield during his two-touchdown game.
Ex-Husky wide receiver Jalen McMillan receives congratulations from Baker Mayfield during his two-touchdown game. / Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

They were the Three Musketeers, the Three Amigos, Three from Montlake, a triple play.

With one NFL regular season now in the books for them, the pass-receiving triumvirate of Rome Odunze, Jalen McMillan and Ja'Lynn Polk from the University of Washington experienced decidedly different rookie performances, to the point that just one of them, McMillan, is now headed for the playoffs.

For the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the 6-foot-1, 192-pound McMillan, a third-round draft pick, was a late-season sensation by catching touchdown throws from Baker Mayfield in each of his final five outings, twice coming up with a pair of scores. Mayfield to McMillan every time. Together like M & M's/

A starter in 12 of the 13 games he appeared, McMillan finished the regular season with 37 catches for 461 yards and 8 TDs, meaning he scored nearly every fifth time he touched the ball. He had a long catch of 33 yards. He also ran the ball four times for 43 yards.

McMillan's latest scoring catch, a 32-yarder, gave the Bucs a 20-19 lead in their 27-19 victory over the New Orleans Saints, enabling them to claim their fourth consecutive NFC South title and a No. 3 seed in the playoffs.

“I had outside leverage with the nickel,” McMillan told the media after the game. “I knew I had a flag route, so I went inside and gave him a little nod at the top and Baker trusts me with the ball and I knew I had to come down with it however way.”

Odunze came up with the most catches of any of these rookies from the UW, finishing with 54 receptions for 734 yards and 3 scores for the Chicago Bears. His longest went for 47 yards. He rushed three times for 15 yards. The first-round pick generally drew plaudits for being NFL ready.

However, he and his Bears teammates suffered through a 5-12 season that has come to an end. Odunze started 12 of the 17 games he played.

Bears wide receiver Rome Odunze (15) celebrates a first-down reception against the Detroit Lions.
Bears wide receiver Rome Odunze (15) celebrates a first-down reception against the Detroit Lions. / Daniel Bartel-Imagn Images

Polk had an unforgettable first year with the New England Patriots, finishing up on injured reserve with a shoulder issue.

While he enjoyed some early success, Polk finished with just 12 catches for 87 yards and 2 scores. His longest went for 21 yards. He ran once for no gain.

Polk started 7 of the 15 games he played for New England, which finished 4-13 and well out of the postseason. The Patriots front office acknowledged it put too much pressure on rookie receivers to carry the load, with Polk a second-round pick.

"The rookie receivers didn’t have it really that much for us," Eliot Wolf, Patriots executive VP of player personnel, told Fox Sports. "And, you know, Polk was sort of in our estimation a plug-and-play. … Ultimately, to answer to your question, our record speaks for itself. We didn’t do enough.”

Yet Polk, Odunze and McMillan, with that rookie season out of the way, should settle in and enjoy long, productive NFL careers.

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Dan Raley
DAN RALEY

Dan Raley has worked for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, as well as for MSN.com and Boeing, the latter as a global aerospace writer. His sportswriting career spans four decades and he's covered University of Washington football and basketball during much of that time. In a working capacity, he's been to the Super Bowl, the NBA Finals, the MLB playoffs, the Masters, the U.S. Open, the PGA Championship and countless Final Fours and bowl games.

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