Tetairoa McMillan, Arizona: 2025 NFL Draft Profile & Scouting Report
McMillan was a four-star recruit from Servite High School in Anaheim, Calif. in the class of 2022
Arizona’s Tetairoa McMillan isn’t on par with recent wide receiver prospects taken in the top half of the first round, like Drake London, Rome Odunze, Chris Olave, Jameson Williams, Garrett Wilson, etc. However, he’s still entrenched as the top wide receiver prospect in the 2025 NFL Draft because of his rare combination of size and fluidity.
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Tetairoa McMillan, WR Arizona: 2025 NFL Draft Profile
Classification: Junior wide receiver from Waimanalo, Hawai'i
Background: McMillan was a four-star recruit from Servite High School in Anaheim, Calif. in the class of 2022. He was the No. 51 recruit according to 247Sports, No. 12 for Rivals (five-star), and No. 41 for On3.com. ESPN ranked him 144th in the nation with an 83 grade out of 100. McMillan originally committed to Oregon before flipping to Arizona. In three high school seasons, he produced 179 receptions for 2,640 yards and 34 touchdowns, including 88 receptions for 1,302 yards and 18 touchdowns as a senior. McMillan also played defense as a senior, intercepting eight passes and totaling 35 tackles. In a shortened junior season, he totaled 26 receptions for 487 yards and four touchdowns, and he caught 65 passes for 851 yards and 12 touchdowns as a sophomore. McMillan was the 2022 California State Player of the Year, the 2021-22 Gatorade California Football Player of the Year, and the 2021 Polynesian High School Football Player of the Year. He participated in the Polynesian Bowl and All-American Bowl. McMillan also played basketball and volleyball at Servite. According to MaxPreps, he had 105 kills on 213 attempts as a freshman for the volleyball team. McMillan was born on April 5, 2003.
Injuries & Off-Field: Required surgery for a left foot/leg injury in the spring of 2024
Awards: 2022 Pac-12 Honorable Mention Freshman Offensive Player of the Year, 2022 First Team Freshman All-American (The Athletic), 2022 Freshman All-American Team (ESPN, On3, PFF), 2023 Second Team All-Pac-12, 2023 Third Team All-American, 2024 First Team All-Big-12, 2024 First Team All-American, 2024 Polynesian College Football Player of the Year, Arizona’s Career Receiving Leader
Pros: Experience lining up out wide and in the slot, Freak’s List inclusion, extreme height advantage, wingspan meets threshold, some examples of muscling through press, nice diamond release to win inside leverage, fluid hips and athleticism with limited rigidity, long strides to cover ground quickly, builds to a good top speed, mixes route tempo to lull off-man defenders, stems short to intermediate routes outside before sharply breaking inside and uses a rocker step, impressive whip route to create space at his size, nice hip sink and dip at stem’s peak, unique COD at stem’s peak at his build, potential red zone fade monster, natural feel for openings in zone, makes second effort to get open on extended plays, natural hands catcher, ball tracking, body control, catch radius, adjusts for inaccurate throws, gets low to dig throws out of the turf, high points ball over defenders, comfortable catching with defenders draped on him, difficult for defenders to play the ball around his frame, long strides help him accelerate for YAC, smooth player with gliding speed after the catch, sidesteps and average jump cuts, upgraded strength and contact balance in 2024, arm tackles slides off him, spins out of contact, uses blockers well on screens
Cons: Limited special teams experience, below average arm length, underdeveloped release package to combat press coverage, arms need to help clear press release more, outside release driven into sideline, needs to fill out horizontal route tree, lacks speed to stretch defenses and separate vertically, play speed just outclassed vs. some DBs, inconsistent overtaking off-man defenders, lots of monotone short to intermediate routes, limited separation created vs. sticky corners, struggles to separate from man coverage on crossers, rounded out-breaking routes, inconsistent separation on comebacks and curls, gets stuck on mid-route contact, some concentration mishaps at the catch point, needs to time jump at the catch point better to maximize height, vertical isn’t elite, average elusiveness after the catch, lacks twitch to create in small spaces, tackle breaking is inconsistent, limited effort and success as a blocker, some reps with zero blocking effort
Overview: McMillan has experience operating out wide and in the slot. His arm length falls well below expectations for his size, but he has the height and weight to play physically stronger than most corners. McMillan needs to develop his release package to beat press coverage and generate more clean releases. His build provides cornerbacks with a large target and makes it easier for defenders to drive him into the sideline. McMillan muscles through some jams and uses a nice diamond release to quickly win inside. He’s a fluid athlete with loose hips and rare movement skills for his size. He lacks the initial burst to threaten corners off the line and isn’t a vertical field-stretcher. Most corners don’t need to worry about him stacking them downfield, but he builds to an impressive top speed. When given a runway, McMillan uses his long strides to quickly cover ground and top out at 21.8 mph, according to Bruce Feldman for The Athletic. That speed shows up more often after the catch than in his route tree. The junior uses route tempo well, manipulates leverage, and deploys a rocker step to alter spacing and set himself up for success. His hip sink and change of direction are unique for a larger receiver, allowing him to run some more intricate routes. McMillan wins a lot on a vertical tree but needs to expand the horizontal field-stretching elements of his game. Despite his gifts, he struggles to generate consistent separation against sticky, man coverage corners. McMillan falls back into monotone routes at the short and intermediate levels and suffers from rounding some out-breaking routes. Gearing down for comebacks and curls allows defenders to get in phase and stick on his hip. Mid-route contact is still a big obstacle for him because of how much it slows him down. The junior is a natural zone beater who relocates to find space when the play breaks down. He deals with some concentration drops and mistimed jumps but is usually a natural hands catcher with terrific ball tracking and body control. McMillan is accustomed to adjusting for off-target throws, including passes that need to be high pointed over defenders or dug out of the turf on low misfires. He’s comfortable making catches with defenders in his air space, which, combined with his size, makes him an excellent red zone option. McMillan lacks the twitch to create in small spaces after the catch and is an inconsistent tackle breaker, but he made significant strides as a playmaker in 2024. He glides across the field while accelerating to a threatening speed. McMillan deploys jump cuts, sidesteps, and spins and is strong enough to withstand arm tackles. His play strength and contact balance are much better than in 2023, although he’s still a horrendous blocker who displays little effort.
Overall, McMillan uses his size, ball skills, body control, and flashes of route running excellence to overwhelm defensive backs, but he lacks the high-end agility and speed to create consistent separation against man coverage. McMillan shreds zone coverages and made significant strides with his route running in 2024 to prove he can be more than just a zone-beater or contested catch receiver at the NFL level.
Role & Scheme Fit: X receiver in an 11 or 12-personnel scheme
Round Grade: Late First to Early Second Round
Size: 6'4 1/8", 219 lbs. (NFL Combine)
Submitted: 08-02-24
Updated: 04-12-25