The Denver Broncos might benefit from some uncertainty when it comes to the NFL draft, and in turn land an offensive piece that could be the key to quarterback Bo Nix’s success over the next decade.
USA Today’s Tyler Dragon released a mock draft following the NFL Scouting Combine that predicts the Broncos will draft Arizona wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan at No. 20 overall, which would represent a huge drop for the dominant pass catcher in college football over the last 2 seasons.
It almost goes without saying that McMillan dropping out of the Top 10 and into the Broncos’ lap would be one of the great come-ups in franchise draft history.
“The 6-foot-5 wide receiver has a big catch radius and runs with long strides,” Dragon wrote. “He’s a possession receiver with good ball skills. Courtland Sutton and McMillan would give Denver a basketball team on the outside.”
The Broncos already have one elite wide receiver in Sutton, who is coming off the second 1,000-yard season of his career.
McMillan has the potential to be a game changer wherever he lands. Bleacher Report’s Dame Parson and NFL draft analyst Lance Zierlein both compared him to Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Drake London and Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins — 2 of the NFL’s very best at the position.
“Tetairoa McMillan is an uber-versatile and talented high-volume passing target suited to funnel the passing game through,” Parson wrote.
McMillan Dominated Opponents for Last Two Seasons
While the Arizona Wildcats fell flat in 2024 by going from a preseason Top 25 team to finishing with a 4-8 record in their first season in the Big 12, McMillan was still unstoppable.
In 3 seasons with the Wildcats, McMillan had 213 receptions for 3,423 yards and 26 touchdowns, including consecutive seasons with at least 1,300 receiving yards in 2023 and 2024. McMillan was an All-Pac-12 pick in 2023 and an All-Big 12 pick and All-American in 2024.
“Possession receiver with the size and ball skills to create big wins deep,” NFL draft analyst Lance Zierlein wrote about McMillan in his pre-draft profile. “He’s a linear route-runner who wears press coverage early and coasts too often on deep routes, but he has a feel for uncovering underneath and can play over the top of cornerbacks for easier jump-ball wins.”
Few wide receivers in college football history have had the kind of game McMillan had to kick off the 2024 season — 10 receptions for 304 yards and 4 touchdowns in a 61-39 win over New Mexico.
McMillan Has Already Been Invited to Attend NFL Draft
While McMilland didn’t work out at the scouting combine, Fox’s Jordan Schultz reported he’s been one of the few players invited to the NFL draft in Green Bay, Wisconsin, and would work out at the Big 12 Pro Day on March 18.
“Arizona WR and projected top pick Tetairoa McMillan has been invited to the NFL Draft in Green Bay, per source,” Schultz wrote on March 2. “Here’s something interesting: McMillan posted the highest AIQ score — an advanced cognitive tool used in the pre-draft process — of any WR in this year’s class. Just another box checked for teams doing their evaluations.”
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