Arizona Wildcats Star Lands With NFC Contender in Recent NFL Mock Draft
The 2024 season has been a difficult one for the Arizona Wildcats, but they are looking to end the year on a high note while creating some chaos in the Big 12 at the same time.
Last week against the Houston Cougars, they were able to snap their five-game losing streak and get their second conference win of the campaign. They have the TCU Horned Frogs and Arizona State Sun Devils on deck, motivated not only to play spoiler, but earn bowl eligibility as well.
If they can put forth a similar defensive effort against their final two opponents as they did when facing the Cougars, they are going to be in a great position to pull off upsets.
Offensively, they are going to need their stars to show up.
Wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan has been dominant once again, putting himself in position to be a top 10 pick in the 2025 NFL draft.
He could very well be joined by one of his stellar teammates, offensive lineman Jonah Savaiinaea, in the first round.
After playing on the interior earlier in his career, the versatile lineman has kicked outside to tackle.
That will only help improve his stock, as teams will love that they plug and play him anywhere in the trenches.
Over at ESPN, NFL draft analyst Matt Miller believes that Savaiinaea can sneak into the first round in his recent mock. He has the talented offensive lineman landing at No. 31 with the surging Detroit Lions.
“The Lions have been dominant this season, but they have clear needs to address in the offseason. The interior offensive line is one, as Detroit lost Jonah Jackson in free agency and it's unclear how much longer center Frank Ragnow will play after this season. Savaiinaea has played both tackle spots this season but is projected as an NFL guard by scouts. He's a mauler in the run game and has shown improved footwork and poise in pass blocking, not giving up a sack this season and committing only two penalties. At 336 pounds, Savaiinaea has the power and first-step quickness to reposition defensive linemen.”
Given some of the question marks the Lions have in the trenches going forward with their line beginning to age, a player of Savaiinaea’s caliber is the perfect fit for them.
His performance on the field has improved each year with the Wildcats, per PFF.
He has gone from a 63.3 overall grade in 2022, improving to 69.1 last season, and now sitting at 72.0.
His pass protection as Miller noted, has been excellent.
His elite 82.7 pass-blocking grade is No. 45 among 599 qualified tackles in 2024. His overall grade places him 109 out of 648.
There is a lot to like about Savaiinaea’s future outlook.
Similar to Jordan Morgan, who was a first-round pick of the Green Bay Packers in the 2024 NFL draft after playing at Arizona, he will turn pro with the experience to play virtually anywhere in the trenches.
