Who Should I Start? Jalen McMillan or Arian Smith

Tuesday, August 26, 9:23 PM

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers placed wide receiver Jalen McMillan (neck) on Injured Reserve with a return designation on Tuesday. The move means that McMillan will be eligible to come back in Week 5, but he may have to miss more time than that as he recovers from a sprained neck. The 23-year-old suffered the injury in a preseason win over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Aug. 16. McMillan, a third-round pick from Washington in 2024, impressed with 37 catches, 461 yards, and eight touchdowns in 13 games. He hauled in seven of those scores in the Buccaneers' final five games of the season, but he won't be able to build on that performance until at least October. The Bucs will also open the year without Chris Godwin (ankle), which will give first-round rookie Emeka Egbuka a prime opportunity to step up as the team's No. 2 receiver after Mike Evans.

Sunday, August 31, 11:01 PM

The New York Jets expect rookie wide receiver Arian Smith to "contribute right away," according to ESPN's Rich Cimini. A fourth-round pick out of Georgia, Smith recorded 48 catches for 817 yards and four touchdowns in his final collegiate season for the Bulldogs. Outside of top wideout Garrett Wilson, the Jets are hurting for talent at the position. Veterans Josh Reynolds and Allen Lazard (shoulder) are penciled in as the team's WR2 and WR3, but Lazard is battling a shoulder injury. If Smith hits his upside as a prospect, he will bring a speed element down the field that the Jets' veteran receivers cannot. The 23-year-old is a name to monitor early in the season as a potential waiver-wire stash.