Arizona wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan is expected by most to hear his name called pretty early on when the 2025 NFL Draft kicks off on Thursday. But just days ahead of the draft, longtime NFL Draft expert Todd McShay shared some of his concerns about McMillan’s work ethic, which warranted a response from McMillan.
In a video post to his YouTube channel on Tuesday, McShay claimed that he has heard stories about how McMillan struggles when he doesn’t have a coach pushing him to excel, which he believes was the case in 2023 when Jedd Fisch was the head coach at Arizona, but not in 2024 when Brent Brennan took over as head coach.
“I don’t trust him,” said McShay. “And I have reports, as one scout said, he was great when Jedd Fisch had his foot on his throat. Don’t take that the wrong way. Obviously, he means that (he needs) someone pushing him, driving him. When Jedd Fisch left town, there was a new sheriff in town. Tet didn’t like to work out and practice hard unless a scout in attendance. It showed up on the routes, quitting on balls over the middle of the field. Didn’t think he showed attention to detail. I get offended personally for Drake London when people say he is the next Drake London. He is the same size, they make the same acrobatic catches. (But) Drake was a dog.”
As a result of McShay’s concerns, he opted to rank McMillan as his No. 50 overall prospect on his big board, below fellow wide receivers prospects Matthew Golden, Jaylin Noel, Emeka Egbuka, Luther Burden III, Jayden Higgins, and Tre Harris.
This analysis from McShay understandably made headlines, considering McMillan is expected to be one of the first wide receivers off the board. Some even pushed back against McShay’s claims about his work ethic.
“If you talk to any of TMac’s teammates you’ll hear the exact opposite of what McShay says here… Dating back multiple draft seasons ago. Overthinking Tetairoa McMillan is going to look rather foolish here soon,” wrote Travis May of A to Z Sports.
McMillan also took notice of McShay’s claims about him, responding to TMZ in a clear and concise message to NFL front offices just days before draft day.
“I feel like just turn on the tape and it speaks for itself,” said McMillan.
Only time will tell whether McShay’s concerns about McMillan end up being a problem in the NFL. But McMillan’s tape does indeed speak to his pure talents as one of the best wide receivers in the draft class, recording 1,319 receiving yards and eight touchdowns on 84 receptions this past season at Arizona.