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NFL combine: Tetairoa McMillan meets with Jacksonville Jaguars, fan of Brian Thomas Jr.
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- NFL combine: Tetairoa McMillan meets with Jacksonville Jaguars, fan of Brian Thomas Jr.
INDIANAPOLIS — The Jacksonville Jaguars had major success when drafting former LSU wideout Brian Thomas Jr. in the first round of last year's NFL Draft.
They could continue that momentum this year by taking another top wideout, this time Arizona receiver Tetairoa McMillan , who is expected to be the first receiver off the board.
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If McMillan, who met with the Jaguars this week, had his way he'd love to suit up opposite Thomas, someone he named in his top-five receivers, no order when asked on Friday.
"You always need a good receiver on the other side to be good. So, I would love to play with Brian Thomas. I think he's real good, Pro Bowler and I think we'd be a good complement to each other," McMillan said when asked about playing with Thomas.
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Listed at 6-foot-5, 212 pounds, McMillan dominated in his three years with the Wildcats, catching 213 passes for 3,423 yards and 26 touchdowns in 37 games. He caught 84 passes for 1,319 yards and eight touchdowns in 2024.
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His talent is unquestioned and he could be a valuable asset to Jacksonville's pass-catching group, especially if the team doesn't want to carry veteran WR Christian Kirk 's $24.089 million cap hit for next season.
Kirk is entering the final year of his deal and will be 29 at the start of the season. He's missed 14 games combined the last two seasons, including nine games last year after suffering a broken collarbone.
Kirk is not injury-prone, but his play style and size could be detrimental throughout a 17-game season. In his first year in Jacksonville, Kirk showed why he was valued as highly as he's been, catching 84 passes for 1,108 yards and eight touchdowns.
Regardless, the move likely won't be made without the team hearing from his teammate, quarterback Trevor Lawrence , who the Jaguars say will have plenty of say regarding major decisions with the team's roster.
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Still, if Jacksonville moves on from Kirk or any of their receivers, selecting McMillan could help put the team, and Lawrence, over the top.
Tetairoa McMillan won't run 40-yard dash
Nov 30, 2024; Tucson, Arizona, USA; Arizona Wildcats wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan (4) against the Arizona State Sun Devils during the Territorial Cup at Arizona Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
One storyline entering this week centered around McMillan's 40-yard dash time. During his time at Arizona, McMillan was viewed as a 50-50 player, able to go up and get it, but not necessarily someone who separates with speed down the field.
Well, that won't be dispelled this week after McMillan said he would not be participating in the on-field portion of the Combine, likely taking part in his Pro Day, the Big 12 Pro Day hosted by Arizona this year, March 18-21.
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Still, the former Wildcat receiver feels he's far more than just a 50-50 guy.
"People look at me as a big receiver, which I am. I'm physically dominant, but at the end of the day, I'm able to run every route in the route tree. I'm able to play inside or outside and I feel like a lot of people, a lot of teams are sleeping on that right now," McMillan said when asked about what people may not know about his game.
The Jaguar signed Gabe Davis last year with a similar vision. A big-bodied wide receiver who can dominant in the red zone, but separate downfield.
Davis' first season in Jacksonville didn't go as planned as the wideout was maligned with lower body injuries, particularly his knee, since training camp. He never recovered and eventually had to get surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee after the team's Week 12 bye.
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Davis caught 20 passes for 239 yards and two touchdowns. He will remain with the team at least through the 2025 season.
Given his production, the Jaguars may want to keep their options open, and selecting McMillan would fit head coach Liam Coen and general manager James Galdstone's edict of surrounding Lawrence with talent.
Tetairoa McMillan names Brian Thomas Jr. in his top five receivers
Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. (7) rushes for yards during the second quarter of an NFL football matchup Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024 at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union]
McMillan didn't just say he would love to play with Thomas, he also holds the Jaguars wideout in high regard, naming him among his top five players at the receiver position in the NFL today.
"Let's see. [ Cincinnati Bengals WR] Ja'Marr [Chase], [ Minnesota Vikings WR] Justin [Jefferson], I'll put [ New York Giants WR] Malik [Nabers] up there, [Jaguars WR] Brian Thomas [Jr.] and [ Philadelphia Eagles WR] A.J. Brown ," he said when asked for his out-of-order top receivers.
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The high praise for Thomas isn't unexpected. Thomas went to a Pro Bowl in his first year with the Jaguars. Though he was the first alternate, he was among the top wideouts in the league in nearly all stats.
He was third in the league in receiving yards with 1,282, tied for sixth with 10 touchdowns and caught 87 passes in his rookie season. That was without Lawrence for seven games to close the year, too.
Thomas looks to continue improving on his achievements this year, and Coen has already mentioned that the team's passing game will go through Thomas this year.
"The ability for him to snap down, get in the slot, be able to run some of the choice routes, looky routes, and then, oh, by the way, you can throw him a screen and he can go do something with it," Coen described earlier this week at the Combine.
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"Our pass game will run through him, and super excited to get to work with him."
Demetrius Harvey is the Jacksonville Jaguars reporter for the Florida Times-Union. You can follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @Demetrius82 or on Bluesky @ Demetrius .
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This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: NFL combine: Tetairoa McMillan puts Jacksonville Jaguars WR in top 5
