Arizona receiver moves into top 5 of updated NFL mock draft
Tetairoa McMillan didn't compete at the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine, but that didn't prevent his draft stock from rising.
McMillan, who is one of most intriguing prospects in the 2025 NFL Draft, has been projected to go anywhere from No. 6 to No. 22 in April's draft. A 6-foot-5, 212-pound wide receiver with a huge catch radius, McMillan is ranked as the 13th-best prospect in the draft by ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr.
McMillan caught 213 passes for 3,423 yards and 26 touchdowns during his three seasons at Arizona. He was frequently double-teamed and forced to adjust to exotic coverages as teams tried to take away one of the best receivers in college football.
McMillan jumps in NFL mock draft
Most first-round picks don't compete in drills at the combine. There's too much to lose, especially if their agents have guarantees they'll be selected in the first round.
Instead, most top picks opt to go through combine drills in a controlled environment, typically at their school's pro day or in one-on-one workouts with NFL teams. McMillan has not announced his pro day plans yet, but the Big 12 is holding its pro day from March 18-21 at The Star in Frisco, Texas.
All eyes will be on McMillan's speed whenever he chooses to run the 40-yard dash. That's the one question mark that has surfaced among draft analysts. Texas' Matthew Golden posted the fastest 40-yard time among wide receivers at the combine — a blistering 4.29. Golden's mark was the second-fastest of any player, just behind the 4.28 from Kentucky cornerback Maxwell Hairston.
After taking the combine results into account, NFL.com draft analyst Lance Zierlein released a new mock draft on Monday — and McMillan made a big jump. Zierlein has the Jacksonville Jaguars drafting him with the No. 5 overall pick.
"The Jaguars are all in on Trevor Lawrence, adding another weapon on the perimeter to create their own version of Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins," Zierlein wrote.
The Jaguars took a wide receiver in the first round of last year's draft — Brian Thomas Jr. — and he went on to have the best rookie season in the history of the franchise. Thomas Jr. will enter the 2025 NFL season as arguably a top-5 wide receiver in the NFL, and drafting McMillan would potentially give Jacksonville one of the top wide receiver duos in pro football.
More Arizona & Big 12 Analysis
-029877d49238355bd3388a94f90e3c72.jpg "Ben Sherman")
Ben Sherman has been covering the sports world for most of his 27-year journalism career, including 17 years with The Oregonian/OregonLive. A basketball junkie, March Madness is his favorite time of the year.