A winning true ‘X’ receiver can transform an offense. For teams looking to add that player in this year’s NFL Draft, the top option is Tetairoa McMillan from Arizona.
Tetairoa McMillan scouting report
College: Arizona
Rookie year age: 21
Height: 6’5
Weight: 212
Awards: Consensus All-American (2024), Polynesian Collegiate Football Player of the Year (2024), First-Team All-Big 12 (2024), Second-Team All-Big 12 (2023)
Tetairoa McMillan was a four-star recruit and the fourth-ranked wide receiver in the Class of 2022. Despite being the third-ranked player in the state of California he left the state to play at Arizona.
McMillan quickly established himself as a star of the rebuilding Arizona program under head coach Jedd Fisch. He started eight games as a true freshman, then was the team’s leading receiver the next two years. For most of that time he was catching passes from Noah Fifita, who was also his quarterback at Servite High School in Anaheim (the two were in the same graduating class).
Stats
| Season | Team | Class | Games | Catches | Yards | TDs | Y/C | Y/G |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Arizona | FR | 12 | 39 | 702 | 8 | 18.0 | 58.5 |
| 2023 | Arizona | SO | 13 | 90 | 1402 | 10 | 15.6 | 107.8 |
| 2024 | Arizona | JR | 12 | 84 | 1319 | 8 | 15.7 | 109.9 |
| Care | 37 | 213 | 3423 | 26 | 16.1 | 92.5 |
Strengths
-Built like a prototypical ‘X’ receiver, but is experienced playing both outside and in the slot
-Even for his size, his catch radius is tremendous
-Reliable hands
-Moves well and has good quickness/change of direction for his size, especially after the catch. He is a threat with the ball in his hands
-Can be a factor at all three levels
Weaknesses
-He’s not slow, but nobody is going to describe him as a burner. Has functional straight-line speed.
-Struggled against press coverage in college, which he’ll probably see more of as a pro until he proves he can beat it
-Needs to cut in his routes with more urgency
-Inconsistent production. Over half of his total yards in 2024 came in just four games.
Video breakdown
Bottom line
Tetairoa McMillan is a versatile receiving threat that has many of the tools needed to carry an NFL passing game. Even without top-line speed he’s still a tough matchup given his size and ability with the ball in his hand. The biggest question for teams will be how they view his inconsistent production – was it about him, or a matter of defenses selling out to take him away with no other real threats on Arizona’s offense?