NFL Draft Profile: Ja'Quan McMillian, Cornerback, East Carolina Pirates
#21
Pos: CB
Ht: 5085
Wt: 161
Hometown: Winston-Salem, NC
High School: West Forsyth
Ja'Quan McMillian
East Carolina Pirates
One-Liner:
McMillian is a ball hawk at the corner position with supreme lower body twitch.
Pros:
McMillian is always around the ball, whether it be interceptions, screen passes, or in the run game. His soft hands are almost as reliable as his instincts. Solid frame with good density for a corner. Physical as a tackler in the run game and not afraid to take backs head-on. Plays the hands of the receiver with a textbook form including precise timing. His Lower half is very juiced up. Impressive jumping ability to pair with hip fluidity and quick feet. The pairing of instincts and athleticism show up on his read and react slant breakups.
Cons:
Smaller corner in terms of height. Played in a lower conference and was seldom challenged vertically leaving questions about his long speed. Not the best man corner and most of his plays come from off-zone coverage. Questions will arise surrounding his ability to play outside at the NFL level. May be best suited in the slot as a nickel corner.
Summary:
McMillian is an impressive corner in terms of his playmaking ability and athleticism. An explosive set of feet and hips allow him to drive on the ball and make interceptions to pair with redeeming physicality. Due to his height and lack of technique in man coverage, the best spot for McMillian may be as a slot corner in the NFL.
Background:
McMillian was a three-sport star at West Forsyth high school in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. He exceed on the gridiron, basketball court, and track where he played quarterback, receiver and corner, guard, and ran the 100, 200, 4by1 and participated in the long jump respectively. That athleticism carried over to ECU where he has earned second-team All-American Athletic Conference honors, AP All American honors, and media recognition since his freshman season. He majored in communications during his time at ECU.
Grade:
4th-5th Round
Quotable:
The AAC has three of the top five corners in the country this year in Sauce Gardner, Coby Bryant, and Ja’Quan McMillian, not bad. Chris Vannini, The Athletic.
