The 2025 NFL Draft is rapidly approaching, and as usual, prospects are climbing and sliding on mock draft boards. Arizona’s Tetairoa McMillan is widely viewed as the WR1 of this year’s class, but he hasn’t been getting the same buzz some of his peers have ahead of draft night.
One ESPN analyst recently broke down McMillan’s game and made it clear — he’s not only the top wide receiver in this class but also capable of being a WR1 at the NFL level.
ESPN’s Mina Kimes Asks Why Tetairoa McMillan Has Dropped on NFL Draft Boards
McMillan measured 6-foot-4 1/8 and 219 pounds at the 2025 NFL Combine and leaves Arizona after back-to-back dominant seasons. In his final year, he recorded 84 catches for 1,319 yards and eight touchdowns. That followed a sophomore campaign with 90 catches, 1,402 yards, and 10 touchdowns — some of the most productive numbers in college football over that stretch.
He waited until his pro day to run the 40 and posted a 4.53. While speed has never been the biggest strength in his game, McMillan isn’t slow by any means. He’s currently projected as the first true receiver off the board in PFSN’s latest mock draft, going to the Seattle Seahawks at No. 21 overall.
Still, some analysts have him dropping further. Longtime ESPN draft expert Mel Kiper’s mock has him slotted at No. 20 to the Broncos, with Texas wideout Matthew Golden going four picks earlier to the Cardinals.
Another ESPN voice, Benjamin Solak, joined Mina Kimes on her podcast, “The Mina Kimes Show,” to talk about McMillan, who he compared to an NFL starter—and questioned why he’s sliding.
Kimes opened with a breakdown of McMillan’s skill set—big frame, clean hands, and elite body control. Then she asked, “Why do you think he’s dropped? Catches everything, doesn’t drop the football. Big plays. That seems like something that a lot of NFL teams need, Ben.”
Solak answered, “I think it’s the case that, one, we always find the new toys. We knew about McMillan coming into this season. We didn’t necessarily know much about [Matthew] Golden. Golden has his emergent season, so that gets exciting. And then, a guy like McMillan’s never going to win the Combine.”
T-Mac WR1 truthers stand up pic.twitter.com/pa1ZZGwPPY
— Benjamin Solak (@BenjaminSolak)
Golden transferred from Houston to Texas and posted 58 catches for 987 yards and nine touchdowns in one season. His numbers don’t stack up to McMillan’s over two years, which is why Solak believes Golden is simply the “shiny new toy.”
“A player like McMillan who does not run well on a 40-yard dash ran a 4.53 at his pro day,” Solak continued. “That player is just not going to rise in the pre-draft process unless he has crazy jumps or insane measurables. McMillan has good size, good length. It’s not Mike Evans walking down the carpet. The comp for him is Courtland Sutton. McMillan’s 6’4”, 213. Sutton was 6’3” 1/2, 218. Sutton ran a 4.54. McMillan ran a 4.53.”
Sutton was a second-round pick in 2018 and has had a solid NFL career, including two 1,000-yard seasons with the Broncos. Solak believes McMillan’s ceiling could be even higher.
“You brought up McMillan in contested situations. He’s got a volleyball background, and we love a volleyball background at receiver,” Solak said. “Excellent timing when it comes to addressing the football, and then accuracy to get their hands to the ball because they’re used to striking.”
“You see that with McMillan; he’s just so natural when he elevates. So, I got a guy who can win back shoulder for me. He can win red zone for me. And then he has good enough routes and good enough explosiveness to win on that intermediate breaking menu. So, to me, that’s a WR1 through and through.”
McMillan brings size, production, and polish—all of which should translate well to the NFL. If a team is looking for a Day 1 impact player at receiver, he might be the safest bet in this year’s class.
