Rookie Identified as Bucs' Most Intriguing Player for 2024

The hype surrounding the Bucs' talented rookie receiver continues to grow.

Jul 25, 2024; Tampa, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Jalen McMillan (15) works out during training camp at AdventHealth Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-USA TODAY Sports / Kim Klement Neitzel-USA TODAY Sports

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have their fair share of established weapons on the roster. On both offense and defense, a strong contingent of proven veterans will go a long way towards determining how this team will fare in 2024.

But the same can be said for a variety of younger players on the team. Several second and third year players, and even some rookies, will be expected to contribute in a big way this season.

Determining which player is the most 'intriguing' on any team is a subjective exercise. But with the balance that exists between promising youth and proven experience on this year's Buccaneers squad makes for many options worthy of consideration.

Recently, Ari Meirov of The 33rd Team sought out to identify the most intriguing player on each NFL team. For the Buccaneers, it is a promising rookie who they believe will be the most intriguing player to watch this season. No it wasn't their top pick, Graham Barton. It wasn't their second rounder, Chris Braswell. It wasn't even their third pick, Tykee Smith.

The analysts over at The 33rd Team believe that rookie receiver, Jalen McMillan, whom the Bucs drafted out of Washington with their second pick in the third round (92nd overall), will be Tampa Bay's most intriguing player this season.

READ MORE: 5 Rookies We're Excited to See in the Bucs' First Preseason Game vs. Bengals

Here's a little of what Meirov had to say.

"The Buccaneers have quietly been one of the better drafting teams in recent history, and they might have found another immediate contributor in third-round rookie receiver Jalen McMillan... No player in any training camp has received more praise than McMillan, and I’ve received more texts about him than any other player. "He's a guy that runs so smoothly," Baker Mayfield said. "He does some things at the top of his routes—he's so friendly to the ball—it's stuff that veterans do."

It looks like the palpable hype surrounding Jalen McMillan in Tampa has already leaked into the mainstream. Despite being a third-round pick, there's no question that McMillan will be leaned upon heavily as a rookie. His greatest opportunity to earn more playing time will start this Saturday at 7 p.m. ET when the Buccaneers travel to Cincinnati to take on the Bengals for their first preseason game.

READ MORE: 3 Key Takeaways From Day 12 of Tampa Bay Buccaneers Training Camp 2024

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