Category: American Style Football

Arizona's Tetairoa McMillan is projected to be one of the top wide receivers selected in the 2025 NFL Draft later this month.

The 6-foot-4, 219-pound McMillan ran 40-yard dashes at his pro day that hovered around the 4.5s, and there aren't many receivers at that size that can move like that. McMillan is the No. 7 overall pick in Yahoo Sports' latest NFL mock draft by experts Nate Tice and Charles McDonald, and both have him highly ranked on their big boards.

There is one issue, however, with McMillan's game that's seemed to pop up during the evaluation process: his lack of separation.

Tice and Yahoo Sports Fantasy Analyst Matt Harmon weren't buying it, as they discussed on the latest episode of Football 301.

"This guy is not some lack-of-separation, stiff player," Harmon said. "... If a guy can't separate on tape, nobody's talking about him as a Round 1 player, or a top half of Round 1 player."

Tetairoa McMillan compares favorably to last year's monster WR class

Harmon pointed out recent big-bodied receivers who supposedly couldn't separate, including Drake London and Rome Odunze, and it didn't hinder them in their transition to the NFL.

Speaking of Odunze, not only does Tice agree that McMillan's separation is fine, he thinks it's part of a package that has him grade out close to 2024's dominant wide receiver prospect class that included Odunze, Marvin Harrison Jr. and Malik Nabers.

"I consider him closer to those top three guys from last year than maybe what we're talking about this year," Tice said, "because I see him as an X, I see him as a ball winner, but I see him as fluid. And how he gets in and out of routes is really just really cool to watch. And you don't really see that from a guy that's legitimately 6-4."

McMillan's speed is fine, even if it's not built for go routes

Harmon said McMillan's long speed isn't the strength of his game, and it's true he won't threaten separation on go routes straight downfield.

McMillan particularly shines on comeback routes, where Harmon charted him as having an 88.9% success rate in terms of getting open.

"He can and has created chunk plays in the intermediate area, and in deep in-breakers, things like that," Harmon said.

Tice doesn't have concerns over McMillan's speed, either, due to his body control and agility allowing him to get yards after catch. He also thinks McMillan's 40 time isn't a worry, pointing out Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins — who just signed a huge contract extension and ran a 4.59 at his pro day five years ago — has a similar profile.

"So running a middle-ish 40 does not damn you," Tice said.

Where should Tetairoa McMillan go in the NFL Draft?

Tice is bullish on McMillan's potential, and thinks he should be a top-10 pick. Harmon didn't go quite that high, but is still a big fan of McMillan's game and thinks he projects as similar potential-wise to the Broncos' Courtland Sutton and the Colts' Michael Pittman.

"You can get away with having them as your No. 1," Harmon said. "You probably want them as, like, a really, really great No. 2. But to me, I think that's still like a top 20 draft pick."

(This article was written with the assistance of Castmagic, an AI tool, and reviewed by our editorial team to ensure accuracy. Please reach out to us if you notice any mistakes.)

The Yahoo Fantasy Forecast recently delved into some exciting possibilities for the NFL Draft, and one intriguing prospect that caught Matt Harmon's and Frank Schwab's attention was North Carolina running back Omarion Hampton potentially landing with the Los Angeles Chargers. Here's why Hampton to L.A. could be a big-time fantasy football win.

Hampton fits with Chargers' scheme

Schwab noted that Hampton would be a great fit for the Chargers' offensive system. The Chargers employ a power-gap scheme that's tailor-made for a running back like Hampton who can thrive behind defined running lanes. The way the Chargers configure their offense with pulling linemen and gap schemes would give Hampton the perfect setup to explode through holes, making him a tantalizing fantasy option.

Potential for immediate production is there

Harmon and Schwab both highlighted the value Hampton could bring as a rookie starter. Schwab even speculated that, despite the presence of Najee Harris on the team, if the Chargers used their 22nd pick to draft Hampton, he'd quickly become a starter. His ability to elevate the team's inconsistent ground game — they ranked 27th in rushing success rate last year — cannot be understated, and fantasy managers should take note of this potential workload.

“All of us fantasy bros would be geeked out,” Schwab exclaimed at the thought of Hampton joining the Chargers. If the Chargers indeed snagged Hampton, his ADP would shoot up. Schwab anticipated that Hampton, currently considered a fourth-round pick in early best ball drafts, would move to the early third round, reflecting the fantasy community's excitement around his potential in Los Angeles.

Justin Herbert + Hampton = The high-octane offense L.A. has been looking for

Integrating a talent like Hampton into an offense led by Justin Herbert could create a dynamic duo. Defenses already have to account for Herbert's arm and pass-catchers like Ladd McConkey, so adding a dynamic, fresh-legged running back like Hampton into the mix would make the Chargers' offense even more formidable, thus elevating Hampton's potential fantasy production.

The discussion emphasized how the Chargers have been searching for consistency and explosiveness from their backfield to complement their air attack. With Hampton, the Chargers would have a home-run threat on every down, which could translate into significant fantasy points, especially in leagues that reward long runs and touchdowns.