Arizona Wildcats Star Lands with Pittsburgh Steelers in NFL Mock Draft
The Arizona Wildcats could potentially have one of the most explosive offensive units in college football this year.
Last season, the tandem of quarterback Noah Fifita and wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan was unstoppable, and they will be looking to replicate that performance in the upcoming campaign.
McMillan, who is entering his third season with the Wildcats, caught 90 passes for 1,402 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2023. He successfully built off of his freshman year where he caught 39 passes for 702 yards and eight touchdowns.
That level of play has McMillan squarely on the radar of NFL scouts.
Coming into the season, he is regarded as a lock to be a first round pick, with the potential he could go within the Top 10.
If he can replicate the numbers he produced last year, or even surpass them, he is going to be one of the first players to hear his name called during the 2025 NFL draft.
Over at ESPN, a mock draft was put together by Field Yates making some early predictions on how things will unfold. For McMillan, they unfold nicely, as Yates has him being selected No. 13 overall by the Pittsburgh Steelers.
“As evidenced by the Steelers' pursuit of Brandon Aiyuk, wide receiver is a position to further bolster in Pittsburgh. And while the team's track record with non-Round 1 wideouts is solid, McMillan is far too good to pass on. He has rare 6-5 size and power, and the way he snares everything within arm's reach jumps out on tape. McMillan is a good route runner, he's strong after the catch and he has the physicality to post up defenders to win on contested catches. McMillan -- who had 90 catches for 1,402 yards and 10 scores last season -- could boost the Steelers' offense opposite George Pickens,” Yates wrote.
The Steelers would be a great landing spot for McMillan, providing him a chance to contribute right away. If Pittsburgh is unable to acquire currenet NFL star Brandon Aiyuk, or another wide receiver to pair with Pickens, they are a logical landing spot for top pass catchers in the upcoming draft.
McMillan has all of the tools to develop into a dominant, No. 1 receiver at the next level.
He was right in line with Malik Nabers of LSU and Rome Odunze of Washington last season, both of whom were selected in the Top 10 of this past NFL draft. Nabers being picked at No. 6 by the New York Giants and Odunze went off the board at No. 9 to the Chicago Bears.
Based on where they went, and the kind of season McMillan looks capable of putting together, the 13th pick seems like his floor once draft season rolls around.
KENNETH TEAPE