Getty University of Arizona wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan.
The Washington Commanders have their franchise quarterback in 2024 NFL draft No. 2 overall pick Jayden Daniels.
It’s not outside the realm of possibility to think they’ll begin picking up elite wide receivers for Daniels to throw to in future drafts. It’s something NFL Spin Zone’s Lou Scataglia has them projected to do in his latest 2025 NFL Mock Draft, where he has the Commanders slotted at the No. 8 overall pick, where he projects they’ll draft Arizona wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan.
“The Washington Commanders pass up on an offensive tackle for the chance to draft Tetairoa McMillian from Arizona, who had 1,402 yards and 90 receptions in 2023 for the Wildcats, which is ridiculous production,” Scataglia wrote.
McMillan, 6-foot-5 and 210 pounds, will be eligible for the NFL draft for the first time following the 2024 season.
McMillan Once-in-a-Generation Wide Receiver
McMillan is as unique of an NFL prospect as they come when it comes to the wide receiver position.
The Servite (Calif.) High School product led NCAA true freshmen with 39 receptions, 702 receiving yards and 8 touchdowns in 2022, while also leading the Pac-12 in touchdown receptions.
In 2023, McMillan earned All-Pac-12 honors and Associated Press All-American honors with 90 receptions, 1,402 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns while helping lead the Wildcats to a 10-3 record and a win in the Alamo Bowl. It was Arizona’s best season since going 12-1 in 1998.
Arizona’s starting quarterback is McMillan’s high school quarterback at Servite, Noah Fifita, who was named Pac-12 Freshman Offensive Player of the Year after throwing for 2,869 yards, 25 touchdowns and 6 interceptions while going 7-2 in 9 starts.
Commanders Need Lots of Help at Wide Receiver
Despite being one of the NFL’s worst teams in recent memory, the Commanders have an established star at wide receiver in Terry McLaurin, who has had four consecutive seasons of at least 1,000 receiving yards.
The Commanders drafted a wide receiver at No. 16 overall in the first round in 2022 with Penn State’s Jahan Dotson, who has failed to live up to expectations through his first two seasons.
Washington also drafted a wide receiver in the 2024 NFL draft, taking Rice wide receiver Luke McCaffrey in the third round (No. 100 overall), and he could step in and start as the third wide receiver right away.
Washington has a long history of picking the wrong player when it comes to selecting wide receivers in the first round. In the last 40 years, the franchise has selected a wide receiver in the first round five times — Dotson (2022), Josh Doctson (2016), Rod Gardner (2001), Michael Westbrook (1995), Desmond Howard (1992) — and none of them ever earned NFL All-Pro or made a Pro Bowl with the team.
The Commanders do have two home-run picks at wide receiver in franchise history when they selected Pro Football Hall of Famer Art Monk out of Syracuse at No. 15 overall in 1980 and Pro Football Hall of Famer Charley Taylor out of Arizona State at No. 3 overall in 1964.
Monk finished his career with 12,721 receiving yards and 68 touchdowns and won three Super Bowls. Taylor was a six-time NFL All-Pro and was the wide receivers coach for Washington from 1981 to 1993, winning three Super Bowls alongside Monk.