The Jacksonville Jaguars have been cleaning house this offseason. First came their coaching staff and the front office. Now is the roster. Already, they released wide receiver Christian Kirk, but that was just one of many moves they made ahead of free agency.
Hours after trading Kirk, the Jags moved on from cornerback Ronald Darby, tight end Evan Engram, wide receiver Josh Reynolds, and return specialist Devin Duvernay. On top of that, center Mitch Morse announced his retirement. It certainly made for an interesting day.
Having freed up several roster spots, the Jags will now turn their attention to acquiring talent and addressing needs. Whether they had released Kirk or not, their wide receiver corps could use upgrades and they get to do precisely that in a recent mock draft.
Tommy Jaggi of Still Curtain put together a first-round mock draft and has Jacksonville taking Tetairoa McMillan at No. 5, pointing out that he would immediately improve its passing game.
"One way to boslter an offense in a hurry is to add another dynamic receiver. The Jacksonville Jaguars struck gold on Brian Thomas in the NFL Draft last year, and having another big wide-receiver in the passing game would revitalize Trevor Lawrence's career."
In case you were wondering where some of the other prospects that have been linked to the Jaguars land, Travis Hunter falls to the Tennessee Titans after trading down. Offensive tackle Armand Membou goes to the New England Patriots, and the New York Jets pick defensive tackle Mason Graham with the seventh overall pick.
Why would the Jaguars pick Tetairoa McMillan at No. 5?
While McMillan is generally seen as the top receiver of his class, his stock has recently taken a hit because he didn't run the 40-yard dash at the Scouting Combine and doesn't plan to do it at his pro day. The former Arizona Wildcat wasn't a burner, to begin with, and teams who want to know just how fast he is will need to either take a leap of faith or move him down in their draft boards.
So why is Tet "the best" receiver in this year's class if he isn't that fast? At 6'5", he'll give his quarterback a massive target. That will come in handy on third down and red-zone opportunities, especially with Evan Engram out of the picture. He can line up anywhere across the line scrimmage and already runs a robust route tree.
On the other hand, McMillan must work on his release, but he's definitely got the size the Jaguars have sorely missed at receiver for years. Dame Parson of the Bleacher Report scouting department projects him to go in the top 10, pointing out that he'll thrive in the NFL in spite of lacking top speed. Here's a fragment of his full report.
"In conclusion, Tetairoa McMillan is a fantastic receiving threat who brings a ton to the table. NFL offensive coordinators will appreciate his versatility and the litany of ways he can win in their offensive structure. He projects as a No. 1 wide receiver who you pepper with a high amount of targets per game."
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How can Tetairoa McMillan help the Jaguars?
The Jacksonville Jaguars just released Christian Kirk. The move will create $10 million in space with $13 million in dead money. While they could look for a potential replacement for him, third-year Parker Washington could step in his place. Last year, he filled in for him and delivered, registering 32 receptions for 390 yards with three touchdowns.
Moving Washington to the slot full-time makes sense when you take into account that Kirk's potential replacements in free agency (Chris Godwin, and Cooper Kupp) may exceed the team's budget. That said, the Jags will still need to add reinforcements to their wide receiver corps. Specifically, they need someone opposite Brian Thomas Jr. who can draw attention away from opposing defenses.
Gabe Davis was expected to fill that role in 2024 but fell short of expectations. While there's a chance he could put it all together next season, the Jags are better off looking for help, and there may not be a better option in the draft than Tetairoa McMillan.
With Davis and Parker in the fold, the Jags could progressively thrust McMillan into action and increase his workload when he's ready. On top of that, his ability to line up inside or outside would give the Jags a dynamic chess piece that allows them to catch defenses off guard.
Sure, it may sting to pass on potential playmakers such as cornerback Will Johnson, or defensive tackle Mason Graham, but Tetairoa McMillan could be the final piece that turns the Jaguars into an offensive powerhouse.