A wide receiver’s 40-yard dash in the NFL Combine can do wonders for they are drafted, and it’s shown over the years. Last year, Xavier Worthy posted a record-breaking 4.21-second 40-yard dash at the combine and was drafted in the first round by the Kansas City Chiefs. Nobody broke that record this year, but there are some intriguing receivers on the board, such as Tetairoa McMillian.
McMillan is not the fastest receiver in this year’s draft, but he possesses all of the other skills that teams want in wide receivers. Unfortunately, it might be his speed that causes him to drop, according to NFL insider James Palmer.
“He’s tremendous at contesting catches, but a lot of people believe somebody who runs over 4.5, which he ran better than what some people thought actually, but at his size, obviously 4.5 is not terrible,” Palmer said on the NFL Insider Notebook. “But teams don’t usually select receivers that are 4.5 or higher in the Top 10 or Top 15. It just historically doesn’t happen very often because the league is so hell bent on explosive plays, they really are.
“So does that drop him a little bit? Does that drop him below Matthew Golden, who some people around the league really believe is climbing. Specifically after running a 4.29 or whatever he ran. I think Matthew Golden is climbing in a lot of people’s minds.”
Could Tetairoa McMillian drop in the draft?
Texas wide receiver Matthew Golden had a 40-yard dash time of 4.29, which was the fastest among the group in the combine this year. That alone could get him more looks than McMillan, who ran the 40 at his private workout at the University of Arizona and ran an unofficial time of 4.48.
There could be a few teams looking for a receiver in the early parts of the draft this year, most notably the Dallas Cowboys, who have the 12th pick. Most teams nowadays are looking for receivers who can take the top off of an opposing defense, and it wouldn’t be a shock if somebody like Golden was picked instead of McMillan because of that alone.
It also depends on if the team is looking for a speedy receiver or a possession receiver. In the Cowboys’ situation, they have CeeDee Lamb, who can do almost anything on the field, so either McMillan or Golden could make sense. Looking at a team such as the Miami Dolphins, who have the 13th pick, could use a possession receiver since they have Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle.
The post NFL Draft rumors: Concerns around Tetairoa McMillian’s quickness has him falling behind speedy WR appeared first on ClutchPoints.
