WR Tetairoa McMillan Prospect Deep Dive: Why He Is One Of The Most Unique Players Of Our Generation

We’ve seen Receivers of all different shapes and sizes over the past years, but few from recent memory have as rare and unique of a skill set as Tetairoa McMillan. We’ve seen guys like Drake London with these massive bodies but with very agile and quick feet. However, TMac comes with a little extra in addition to that skillset. He isn’t some insanely freakish athlete but rather just a well-above-average athlete who brings unexpected versatility and flexibility. Going into the evaluation, I was expecting just to see a Tee Higgins-esque player, but quickly realized he’s far beyond that.

TMac has recently gained a lot of hype as he put up over 300 yards in week one against New Mexico. He then proved that performance wasn’t a fluke by having another big day against a talented Kansas State. The dominance he’s demonstrated since last year is undeniable, but it’s fair to ask if this production level translates at all. We’ll get to that later, but just know he’s got one of the most fascinating skill sets out of anyone in this class. As long as TMac stays healthy and continues thriving, he’s on his way to a top-ten, possibly top-five pick.

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Tetairoa McMillan’s Stats (per PFF)

Film Analysis

It’s hard to tell if this was the exact designed route but it appears he’s running a deep crosser, recognizes the split Safeties, and cuts it upfield. The body control on this catch was fantastic too.

TMac just runs a simple dig route here but notice how he paces the route. He doesn’t start fully accelerating until he’s past them and he’s out of their view.

He runs a stab route against a cover-three defense in this one, but right when he stops on the route, he sees a better opportunity to pop open and cut to right upfield. That’s excellent awareness of the weak spot in coverage and it’s good knowing he has this kind of chemistry.

Here is an excellent example of the lateral quickness and RAC ability McMillan has. He leaves the Corner on the ground from the route and fakes out the other DB with the juke. That’s highly impressive for his size.

Grades

OVR Grade: 1-100

IMP: Impact Grade

POT: Potential Grade

Tetairoa McMillan’s Pros And Cons

Tetairoa McMillan Bio

If you need a Receiver who can play a variety of roles while also being the number one option, TMac is your guy. With X-receiver traits, he can play Slot, be a dynamic playmaker after the catch, and be a dominant ball-winner.

Pros

• Basketball-like frame; not only is he 6’5″, but he has the kind of length you look for in an EDGE.
• Foot quickness is highly rare for a big man. Akin to Drake London.
• Elite catch radius with exceptional composure at the catch point.
• Has legitimate moves after the catch and just has a knack for finding his way around defenders.
• Uses subtle shifts in his pacing to create separation against quicker DBs.
• Despite having a slender frame, he still outmuscles DBs and isn’t phased when he gets jammed.
• While he doesn’t have many snaps against press-man coverage, he’s flashed some dominant reps. He’s so hard to get your hands on.
• Runs an advanced and diverse route tree and has a decent stop-turn ability for his size.
• He and Noah Fifita have excellent chemistry with each other and he knows what to do when the play breaks down.
• Size and effort as a run blocker are a plus.

Cons

• Isn’t going to win with speed as he’s more of a 4.5 kind of guy and will have to win with technique and intelligence.
• While he’s shown good ball tracking at times, there were several deep lob passes he had a chance at but wasn’t able to come down with because of him mistracking the ball.
• I don’t ever see TMac being an elite route runner.
• Lack of effort was noticeable when he knew he wasn’t part of the primary read.

Combine

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Pro Day

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All-22 Exposures

• UCLA, 2023
• Miss ST, 2023
• Colorado, 2023
• New Mexico, 2024

Final Conclusion on Tetairoa McMillan

What makes someone like TMac so rare is simply the different combination of traits he has. You just don’t see Receivers who have the size and speed to be a threat downfield and can also shake a Slot Corner on a whip route or make a Safety miss in space. He’s the ultimate do-it-all Receiver, and I don’t see how you pass on that in the top ten of the draft. It may seem like his production will fall off in the pros because of the lackluster competition he’s faced in those dominant games. However, if Drake London proved anything, it’s that these unique big-bodied skill sets will work if they’re intelligent enough. Not only that, but TMac is straight-up faster than London, so I can only imagine what his upside looks like in the NFL.

With most prospects, I go into detail about which scheme is most conducive for them, but with TMac, give him practically any NFL offense, and he’ll still be a damn good player. I’d just like to see him go to a team where he and the QB have a quality connection. TMac isn’t a generational prospect like we saw last year in MHJ, but that shouldn’t let you overlook the fact that this is a one-in-one player.

Value – 1st Receiver/ Top Five