Tetairoa McMillan | Arizona 6’4” 219 lbs. 04/05/2003 (Age 22)
Tetairoa McMillan was drafted eighth overall by the Carolina Panthers, becoming the second wide receiver and eighth overall player in the 2025 NFL Draft.
COLLEGE PRODUCTION
| Year | Games Played | Receptions | Yards | Yards/Catch | TDs |
| 2022 (FR) | 12 | 39 | 702 | 18.0 | 8 |
| 2023 (SO) | 13 | 90 | 1,402 | 15.6 | 10 |
| 2024 (SR) | 12 | 84 | 1,319 | 15.7 | 8 |
After winning California State Player of the Year, McMillan joined Arizona as a five-star recruit and became the school’s highest-recruited player of all time. As a true Freshman, he made an immediate impact, securing 39 receptions for 702 yards and eight touchdowns. Everyone in the nation knew he was after his Sophomore season. He finished the season with Second-Team All-PAC-12 and Third-Team AP All-American honors. McMillan led the team with 90 receptions for 1,402 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns. During his Junior season last year, he put together another impressive season, hauling in 84 receptions for 1,319 yards and eight touchdowns. He finished the season with First-Team AP All-American and First-Team All-Big-12 Conference accolades. His 3,423 career receiving yards are an Arizona University record.
STRENGTHS
Possession receiver who possesses elite height and frame for a pro receiver. Wins one-on-one matchups with ease. Superb route-running skills and footwork. Uses long strides to outrun the defense in the open field. Tremendous body control, high-pointing the ball over secondary defenders. Has above-average ball-tracking abilities and timing on deep routes. Regularly finds soft spots against zone coverage. Soft, natural hands, showing an elite catch radius, and excels in the red zone as a large-bodied receiving threat.
WEAKNESSES
Sometimes struggles on go routes with limiting long, straight-line speed. Can struggle to secure the catch against more physical defenders at times. Struggles on his release against physical defenders lining up in press coverage. Could be more urgent on some of his routes, as well as finishing through the end of plays.
ATHLETIC TESTING
At the NFL Combine, McMillan measured in at 6’4” and 219 lbs, which equates to a BMI of 31. He did not participate in any of the athletic drills at the NFL Combine, but he did at his Pro Day. He ran a 4.53-second 40-yard dash (59th percentile), equating to a 108.3 speed score (89th percentile). McMillan also finished his collegiate career with a college dominator score of 44.4 percent (91st percentile).
McMillan shows elite height for his position. Although his 4.53-second 40-yard dash won’t wow scouts, that is an excellent time given his size and frame. Some scouts clocked him in as fast as 4.48. On tape, you can see he has tremendous leaping abilities to go along with a large catch radius.
DRAFT ANALYSIS
Rapid Reaction to Draft Capital: Good
Rapid Reaction to Landing Spot: Average
McMillan was selected with the eighth overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft by the Carolina Panthers.
Bryce Young gets another first-round wide receiver for the second straight season (Xavier Legette). McMillan joins a receiver room that includes Legette, Adam Thielen, and Jalen Coker. This wasn’t the ideal landing spot for McMillan, but he should be in a good position to become this team’s WR1. With Young as his quarterback, McMillan’s ceiling may not be as high as we initially thought.
FANTASY INSIGHTS
McMillan received a mid-first-round grade from me before the draft, and I had him as the second-ranked wide receiver behind Travis Hunter.
In your rookie drafts, McMillan is more than likely a top-five pick. In Superflex leagues, he may slip outside the top five, but even that’s a stretch. The only players I would consider taking ahead of him are Cam Ward, Shedeur Sanders, Jaxson Dart, Ashton Jeanty, Omarion Hampton, and Travis Hunter.
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