All this controversy over Arizona wide receiver, Tetairoa McMillan’s 40-yard dash could end up working out in Jerry Jones and the Dallas Cowboys’ favor. With the 12th overall pick in next month’s draft, some early mock drafts have McMillan landing in Big D. Some mocks have McMillan going inside the top 10. However, after his Pro Day and the wide range of 40 times, some teams could be persuaded to pass on the big body target.
“The projected Top 10 pick in next month's NFL Draft ran the 40-yard dash and unofficially clocked in at multiple times, ranging from 4.46-4.53 seconds, according to multiple outlets. McMillan's unofficial 40-yard dash time (4.48 seconds) reported by Jordan Schulz would've been tied for the 25th-fastest time at the NFL Scouting Combine, which McMillan didn't participate in. McMillan is also skipping Big 12 Pro Day in Frisco, Texas this week.” – Justin Spears Tuscon.com
As much as teams need speed in the NFL, we’ve seen in the past that having lightning-quick speed isn’t the end-all be-all. We’ve seen plenty of fast receivers in the NFL over the years and many of them go on to have mediocre or worse careers. Simply running a 4.3 or 4.4 40-yard dash doesn’t equal success in the league.
Tetairoa McMillan doesn't need outlier speed to make an impact
“McMillan has drawn NFL comparisons to other big-bodied wide receivers, including Mike Evans, Larry Fitzgerald and Drake London. Evans ran the 40-yard dash in 4.53 seconds at the NFL Scouting Combine; Fitzgerald ran it in 4.63 seconds, while London posted a time of 4.5 seconds.”
Larry Fitzgerald is one of the greatest (and underrated) pass catchers of his era, the same can be said for Mike Evans in his. The jury is still out on Drake London but he did catch 100 balls last season, nine of those being touchdowns and racked up 1,271 yards. So, he’s also beginning to make a name for himself. If that’s the mold McMillan is built from then the Cowboys need to do whatever it takes to get him to Dallas.
"I have an advantage, being 6-foot-4 and being a bigger receiver," McMillan said. "I feel like I can run any route on a route tree and, you know, I'm confident enough to know that I'm gonna go get the ball when it's passed to me."