The 2025 NFL Draft is less than a month away, and the Jacksonville Jaguars will be putting the finishing touches on their big board the next couple weeks. One player who'll surely be near the top and has a chance to hear his name called when they're on the clock is Tetaiora McMillan.
The former Arizona Wildcat would give Trevor Lawrence the big target he sorely needs and round out his arsenal of weapons. And while there are valid criticisms surrounding his game, his latest comments shouldn't be one of them.
Just recently, a clip of McMillan saying he doesn't watch tape outside of work surfaced on social media. You can hear him say that he doesn't study on his own, pointing out that "I don't ever need to watch it by myself because we go over it as a receiver group."
Really surprised this hasn’t made the rounds more. I’m out on Tet McMillan. Here’s why courtesy of S&L ➡️ pic.twitter.com/Pwdv9ta7pf
— Mr.Optimistic (@MrOptimisticHou) March 28, 2025
At first sight, these comments should raise red flags. After all, you want to draft players with good study habits that will try to obtain any edge they can get their hands on, either putting extra time on film study or on-field work. Basically, you want someone who lives and breaths football. However, that's not a realistic expectation.
Sure, you will find players that devote every second of their day to football, but there are others who approach it precisely like it is: A job, and once they clock out, they tune out. As Nick Farabaugh of PennLive.com points out, it's more common than you think.
When you cover the league and talk to guys in locker room, you really start to understand some guys just do just view football as a job. It’s a real thing.
They like it, but it’s not like they live it 24/7.
Those guys that are insane film junkies are rarer than you think. https://t.co/Ty8dbw7bIj
— Nick Farabaugh (@FarabaughFB) March 29, 2025
The truth is that there isn't anything inherently wrong with that. But even if you think that McMillan shouldn't have any hobbies, spend quality time with his loved ones, or have a life outside of football, he wasn't having an interview on the clip. Instead, it looks like somebody randomly approached him while he was eating, so the fact that he comes across as dismissive should be held against him.
Related story:NFL analyst outlines the best non-Mason Graham path the Jaguars can take in the draft
Tetairoa McMillan would be an appealing option for the Jaguars at No. 5
For the sake of the argument, let's say the Jacksonville Jaguars drafted Tetairoa McMillan, and he didn't put in the work. That can be easily fixed and doesn't even have to be public. They can simply talk to him and explain how his study habits or lack thereof are having a negative impact on his performance or playing time. Then again, there's also a chance that it's a nothing burger, and Tet will be fine wherever he ends up going.
If anything, McMillan's biggest criticism is his lack of top speed and less-than-ideal weight. He could most definitely bulk up to withstand the rigors of the NFL. On the other hand, speed wasn't his biggest strength in college, but he's quick enough to succeed at the college level. But if the Jaguars ultimately pass on him, it will be because they preferred a different player.
And that's the thing: McMillan isn't a cant-miss prospect but still is the No. 1 receiver in this year's draft. Having said that, defensive tackle Mason Graham, two-way star Travis Hunter, or even offensive lineman Will Campbell may offer more value to Jacksonville at No. 5.
The bottom line is that the Jaguars, or any team for that matter, should give up on Tetairoa McMillan just because of a clip that may lack enough context to come up with logical conclusions.
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