TAMPA — Jalen McMillan said he learned during his rookie season not to worry about the future and just be where his feet are. Fortunately, over the final five games, they were planted firmly in the end zone — seven times. As a first-year pro, the 2024 third-round pick out of Washington established himself as the Bucs’ No. 3 receiver behind Mike Evans and Chris Godwin. So it would have made sense had McMillan been less than geeked about the Bucs’ decision to use their 2025 first-round pick on Ohio State receiver Emeka Egbuka.But McMillan said he really isn’t concerned about where he will fall on the depth chart. “I’m just looking forward to making the most of my opportunities,” he said. “I’m not really worried about any three, four, five, six spots. I’m just worried about when the ball comes my way, make the play.”McMillan said he first became aware of Egbuka when McMillan was attending Washington and Egbuka was playing in high school in the Seattle area.“I heard about him through high school, seven on seven,” McMillan said. “I was trying to get him to commit to (Washington).”Jalen McMillan catches a ball during a voluntary offseason workout Tuesday in Tampa. Despite the addition of 2025 first-round pick Emeka Egbuka, McMillan said he isn’t worried about where he will fall on the depth chart in his second season with the Bucs. [ DOUGLAS R. CLIFFORD | Times ]His first impressions?“He’s a pro,” McMillan said. “He’s really serious about practice and already knows damn near half the playbook. I’m really excited for his growth and his future here.”McMillan knows something about growth. He caught a touchdown pass from Baker Mayfield in last season’s opener against Washington. But a hamstring injury kept him out of four games, first in Weeks 4-5, then in Weeks 9-10.By December, McMillan began to practice better, and it transferred to the games.“I feel like last year I was more focused on how am I going to look in the future instead of worrying about what I wanted to accomplish in the moment,” he said. “And as you all can see, as I focused on the moment I did good things.”Suddenly, McMillan was living in the end zone.It began with two touchdown receptions against the Raiders in Week 14. He followed that performance with at least one touchdown catch in each of the final four games, including two against the Panthers in Week 17.By any measure, McMillan had a successful rookie season and belongs in the conversation as one of the better pass catchers on the club. He finished with 37 receptions for 461 yards (a 12.5-yard average) and eight touchdowns. Stay updated on Tampa Bay’s sports sceneSubscribe to our free Sports Today newsletterWe’ll send you news and analysis on the Bucs, Lightning, Rays and Florida’s college football teams every day.Loading...You’re all signed up!Want more of our free, weekly newsletters in your inbox? Let’s get started.Explore all your options“We’ve got a lot of talent,” McMillan said. “It’s just really us against us. Just being there for one another and just honing in on the talent that we possess and staying focused, really.”Jalen McMillan runs with the ball while participating in a drill during voluntary offseason workouts Tuesday in Tampa. He said he added some strength over the past few months. [ DOUGLAS R. CLIFFORD | Times ]But McMillan got swallowed up a bit by expectations — his own. He admits he was a little starstruck when he first got on the field with some of the NFL players he had previously only watched on TV.“It’s different for everybody, but for me it was going out there and seeing Bobby Wagner, the (Commanders) linebacker, and you’re like, ‘Damn, he’s about to tackle me,’” McMillan said. “It’s crazy, but now it’s easy to see where I am.”One of the offseason goals for McMillan was to add strength, if not some size. Listed at 6-foot-1, 192 pounds, he was pushed around on some critical plays last season. He had a pass wrestled away from him in the end zone by the Cowboys’ Jourdan Lewis, resulting in a touchback instead of a touchdown. “I’m not too sure about how much (weight) I’ve gained,” McMillan said. “But, I mean, I’ve gotten stronger. I’ve had, like, a 2 ½-month offseason, so I feel confident in my strength, just going out there on the field and not being able to be pushed to the sideline.”McMillan finished his first season in select company. His streak of five consecutive games with a touchdown catch was the second-longest by a rookie in NFL history, trailing only Randy Moss (seven in 1998).“It gave me a lot of confidence,” McMillan said of his late-season TD run. “It also gave me a lot of confidence within myself, just going out on the field and feeling belonging.”• • •Sign up for our Sports Today newsletter to get daily updates on the Bucs, Rays, Lightning and college football across Florida.Every weekday, tune into our Sports Day Tampa Bay podcast to hear reporter Rick Stroud break down the biggest stories in Tampa Bay sports.Never miss out on the latest with your favorite Tampa Bay sports teams. Follow our coverage on X and Facebook.