Arizona Wildcats Star Playmaker Tetairoa McMillan Lands Outside Top 10 in Mock Draft
There hasn’t been too much to get excited about with the Arizona Wildcats football team during the 2024 season.
They are a disappointing 3-3 at the midpoint of the regular season, unable to consistently find their footing. The three losses match their total from 2023, as they have also matched their conference losses from last season with two.
It will take a lot of work for head coach Brent Brennan to turn things around this year in Tuscon. But, when you have a player of Tetairoa McMillan’s caliber on offense, anything is possible.
The talented wide receiver has picked up right where he left off last season as one of the most productive players in the nation.
Through six games he has caught 42 passes for 742 yards, which is the most in the Big 12. He has added four touchdown receptions, as he could reset all his career-highs and re-write the program’s record book.
That level of domination has put McMillan squarely in the mix to be a top pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. Right now, the only wide receiver who ranks higher than him on most big boards is Travis Hunter of the Colorado Buffaloes, who could be moved to cornerback full-time at the next level.
In a 2025 NFL mock draft done by Jordan Reid of ESPN, Hunter goes No. 2 to the New England Patriots. McMillan has fallen out of the top 10 this time, landing with the New Orleans Saints at No. 12.
“The Saints could go defense here, as more youth is needed on the front. But they also covet receiver help, and the highest-ranked prospect at the position (again, I have Travis Hunter at CB) is McMillan. He is a big-body target who would be an instant complementary option alongside Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed. McMillan currently ranks third in the FBS in yards per game (123.7), and he can go up and get it, with terrific skill on 50-50 balls. He also has the flexibility to play in the slot or on the outside,” the NFL draft analyst wrote.
This would be a great landing spot for the Wildcats star. There could be some major changes on the horizon if the team continues to struggle, as head coach Dennis Allen and quarterback Derek Carr could both be out of jobs.
But, being able to work opposite of Chris Olave and with Rashid Shaheed also mixing in, McMillan would be able to operate without extra attention being thrown his way. That is the ideal kind of situation for a rookie wide receiver, as long as the Saints can find a competent quarterback to run the offense.
There is certainly a chance that the Arizona star doesn’t make to New Orleans outside of the top 10, as he is an elite talent. Reid originally had him going No. 9 to the New York Jets, but their trade to acquire Davante Adams from the Las Vegas Raiders led to him changing things up.
