Bobby Wade fires back at Steve Smith's criticism of Tetairoa McMillan

For better or worse, every NFL Draft prospect is closely evaluated and nitpicked by coaches, general managers and league pundits.

Former Arizona wide receiver and potential top-10 pick Tetairoa McMillan has recently been on the receiving end of harsh criticism by one of the most productive receivers of the 21st century.

On the Underdog Fantasy Network, Steve Smith Sr. said McMillan is “not a No. 1 wide receiver.”

“I think he makes a lot of plays on the field,” Smith said. “I don’t think he has the ability to dominate like his size is. I think he’s a jump-ball guy. There were times he lacked the focus to be that impact player if he’s not the focal point of the offense. A lot of room for improvement.

“I don’t think he ran fast. I don’t think he’s going to run dynamic routes. I don’t see his route tree being very elaborate. None of these players are finished products. However, this is an evaluation game. Good player, not a great player.”

Arizona wide receivers coach Bobby Wade, whose all-time career receiving yards record at the UA was broken McMillan last season, respectfully disagreed with Smith.

Wade and Smith were NFL colleagues from 2003-10. Smith, who was drafted two years before Wade, was a star and Pro Bowler for the Carolina Panthers during Wade’s career with the Chicago Bears, Tennessee Titans, Minnesota Vikings and Kansas City Chiefs. Wade said Smith “was one of my favorite receivers” during his NFL career.

“I just don’t think he’s watched enough film on T-Mac and that’s just the truth about it,” Wade said after Arizona’s second spring practice on Thursday. “If he was in my shoes last year and coached the kids last year, he would be saying something very, very different. It’s fair for him, (because) he’s in the media and it’s not his job to coach the kid. It’s not his job to coach him; that was my job last year. I would tell him to watch more film and really digest it.

“T-Mac’s ability is going to translate quickly in the NFL. He’s a great route-runner, he’s very coachable and obviously the God-given talent is unmatched. The ability to play the ball off his feet and create separation and what he put on film last year by being able to run with the football in his hand is unique at that size. He was by far faster than what everyone thought he was. ... I’m really proud of him and how he’s been working this offseason.”

Despite a productive and illustrious career at Arizona, questions arose for McMillan entering the pre-draft process: how fast is he? In the last two seasons, McMillan showed his speed and ability to create separation from defensive backs, evade defenders and run in space. McMillan went from 195 yards after catch (YAC) as a freshman in 2022, to a combined 995 yards after catch in 2023 and ’24. The 6-5, 212-pound McMillan also played nearly a quarter of his snaps at slot receiver.

At the NFL Scouting Combine last month, McMillan said “the most underrated part” of his game is his “explosiveness.”

“I feel like people sleep on my ability with the ball in my hands,” said McMillan. “Everyone knows about my 50-50 balls and my catch radius, but I feel like getting out of my breaks as a bigger receiver is good.”

With over two dozen NFL scouts and coaches in attendance for McMillan’s private workout at the UA this week, McMillan unofficially ran the 40-yard dash in times ranging from high 4.4 seconds to low 4.5 seconds.

McMillan “is figuring out that he loves the game of football, a lot like I did at that age” during the pre-draft process, Wade said.

“This process right now and this training, it’s really making him fall in love with the game of football and it’s also becoming a new challenge for him,” said the UA receivers coach. “Elite athletes need constant challenge. Right now, he feels the challenge. ... For him to come out in front of 27 teams and put the cleats on and run what he ran, I’m extremely proud of him.”

Some draft pundits believe McMillan has the framework of an All-Pro receiver, including ESPN draft guru Mel Kiper Jr., who said McMillan is the best receiver in the draft not named Travis Hunter, a “once-in-a-lifetime guy” and likely Top 5 pick. During a pre-draft media availability this week, Kiper said McMillan is “slightly ahead of” Ohio State’s Emeka Egbuka and Texas’ Matthew Golden.

McMillan is a “big-bodied receiver” and has similar traits to Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Drake London. Kiper’s looming question: “Will he get separation against elite corners in contested situations?”

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“He can go get it,” Kiper said. “He was highly productive every year (at Arizona). (Noah) Fifita emerging as quarterback certainly helped, as well.”

Kiper initially had McMillan going sixth overall to the Las Vegas Raiders in his first mock draft, but the former Arizona receiver is now projected to land at No. 20 overall to the Denver Broncos. Other mock drafts have McMillan falling as low as No. 22 overall to the Los Angeles Chargers, but “he could easily go to Dallas” at No. 12 overall.

“I actually flipped Dallas and (former North Carolina running back Omarion Hampton) down to Denver,” Kiper said. “It’s like a puzzle. When you try and put it together, (a player) could’ve been a little bit higher. But McMillan, I liked him through the process. In terms of the big board, he’s right in there to go right in that area of the first round.”

Hunter, a two-way star, is the only player with a receiver label landing in the Top 10 in Kiper’s mock draft. Kiper has McMillan as the first full-time receiver at No. 20 overall followed by Golden (22) and Egbuka (23), which is akin to the 2023 draft that produced receivers Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Zay Flowers, Jordan Addison and Quentin Johnston late in the first round.

“Three of those four have been big hits in the NFL already,” Kiper said. “Johnston has to be more consistent catching the ball, but the other three have been great. It could be a year like that, where a lot of guys should’ve gone earlier based on how they performed. But they didn’t, they dropped a little bit. When you look at McMillan and Matthew Golden from Texas, Emeka Egbuka from Ohio State, they’re going to be bunched together.”

Savaiinaea in line for ‘Pro Bowl status’

Even though former Arizona offensive lineman Jonah Savaiinaea isn’t projected to land in the first round, Kiper believes the three-year starter from Arizona will achieve “Pro Bowl status” at guard, the position he played as a true freshman before moving to tackle for two seasons.

“That’s where I think he’s going to be at his best,” Kiper said of the 6-4, 325-pound Savaiinaea. “Tackle, you always have a chance to move him out there if injuries occur. ... Jonah has a chance to be a really good guard. He’s got power, he’s got pop, he moves people and I think he’ll hold up well at that spot in pass (protection).

“I think he’s a borderline (first-rounder). I thought about him when I did the mock (draft) in the late first round. ... You look at some of these offensive linemen, there’s going to be some really good value in the second (round) and I think he’ll be one of those guys.”

At Big 12 Media Day in Frisco, Texas, Savaiinaea told Chat Sports, “I can play tackle at the next level, but I feel like home for me is I want to put hands on guys right now and control them with my hands and punch, so I’ll probably move inside to right guard.”

“At the end of the day, I want to play guard,” Savaiinaea added.

Extra points

– Arizona returned to spring practice on Thursday and held a 16-period session on head coach Brent Brennan’s 52nd birthday.

– Several 2026 recruits were in attendance for Thursday’s practice, including Phoenix-area offensive tackle Malachi Joyner and Las Vegas edge rusher Prince Williams, a three-star prospect from Bishop Gorman High School.

– Arizona’s first open spring practice for the public will be on Saturday at 11 a.m. at Arizona Stadium.