Tetairoa McMillan is an impressively smooth mover with a massive catch radius. These two traits alone are often enough to get the attention of NFL teams, and McMillan has certainly done that. Beyond those things, there’s enough to McMillan’s game to warrant the praise he’s receiving from NFL draft media, but he has a few shortcomings that leave me questioning if he will be fully maximized at the next level.
Measurements
Height: 6’4”, Weight: 219, Arm Length: 31.5’’, Hands: 10’’
*Testing (Private Workout)
40-Yard Dash: *4.48-4.57, Vertical Jump: 34’’, Broad Jump: 10’
Scouting Overview
During his three years at Arizona, McMillan lined up outside on 76.6% of his routes and in the slot on 22.9%. This means he was primarily used as an X receiver, which certainly makes sense when you see his combine measurements. However, the idea of him taking on this pure X receiver role in the NFL gives me slight pause.
McMillan is at his best when he’s attacking off coverage and can use stem manipulation and tempo changes to keep defenders off balance. He dominates on intermediate routes like digs and outs, and he’s probably the best comeback route runner that I’ve scouted. He never drifts up-field after making his break, and is hyper-aware of defenders who are not primarily responsible for him in coverage, but could cut off his route. He’s also one of the best zone route runners in this class. McMillan even showed more than I was expecting with the ball in his hands. He’s elusive and has a great feel for the angle of pursuit defenders. These are all skills that can be maximized at the flanker or slot position.
On the flip side, he can struggle with physical and patient defenders who try to get their hands on him at the line of scrimmage or at the top of routes. He often gets pushed all the way to the sideline on vertical routes because he lacks a plan of attack at the line of scrimmage, and his hands counters are not precise or violent enough. He also struggles to stack defenders in the vertical game because he lacks high end speed and acceleration.
This isn’t to say he can’t succeed in an X receiver role. He has the makings of a really nice release package if he can continue to hone his craft, and his catch point skills are incredibly impressive. He has outstanding body control, is comfortable making catches off target and away from his frame, and can survive big hits to make tough catches in traffic. If he’s going to play this type of role and meet the lofty expectations of his projected draft position, it would likely need to be as a possession X receiver.
McMillan should be able to contribute right away and develop into a very good starter. It’s possible that he quickly improves in numerous areas to become a top tier NFL receiver, but there are too many small holes in his game for me to project that.
Player Comparison
McMillan falls somewhere on the spectrum that includes players like Tee Higgins, Drake London and Michael Pittman Jr.. While Pittman isn't the most accurate comparison in terms of how he wins, that’s the exact type of role I can see McMillan thriving in. The Colts move Pittman all over the formation to keep him away from press coverage, not because he can’t beat it, but because he struggles to make catches in tight coverage. McMillan is the opposite, but would benefit from that sort of deployment in the same way.
Final Grade: Late 1st Round
This article originally appeared on Raiders Wire:
Topics in this Story
