Three 2025 NFL Draft prospects to watch from Arizona

After five consecutive losing seasons, Arizona exploded onto the stage with a 10-3 season and a comeback win over Oklahoma at the Alamo Bowl in the 2023 season. They emerged as a top team in a highly competitive Pac-12, but will now be thrown into a less-challenging conference, the Big 12.

Coach Jedd Fisch may be gone, but plenty of key players are still ready to go in Tucson, looking to go pro.

Here are the top three Arizona prospects to watch ahead of the NFL Draft, which begins on April 24, 2025:

Tetairoa McMillan | Wide receiver

ESPN's Matt Miller on McMillan : "His catch radius seems unlimited"

Prospect ranking: Pro Football Focus (No. 4), Tankathon (No. 10), Pro Football Network (No. 9)

In yet another stacked receiver class, there's an argument to be made that McMillan is the best of the bunch. The 6-foot-5 and 209-pound McMillan is the kind of big-bodied receiver that can have great success in today's NFL, and he has the athleticism to justify his big frame. He's unsurprisingly great at the catch point, but is a threat with the ball in his hands as well, making him lethal all over the field.

So what should we expect from McMillan this season? He broke out alongside star quarterback Noah Fifita last season with a 90-catch, 1,402-yard campaign, and the duo is intact for this season. Even bigger numbers could very well be on the way, and with them, improved draft stock.

Luther Burden is the top receiver on just about everyone's list, but McMillan has perhaps the best case of anyone for #2 at the position. He could even hop above Burden with a fantastic season, but even if he doesn't, strong play in a new conference setting should be enough to make him a top-10 pick as teams increasingly place value on rostering a great receiver on a rookie contract.

Tacario Davis | Cornerback

Pro Football Network's Ian Cummings on Davis : "Light-footed mover"

Prospect ranking: Pro Football Focus (No. 32), Tankathon (No. 24), Pro Football Network (No. 31)

Speaking of the rise of large receivers in the NFL, big and long defensive backs are needed to cover them. With guys like Sauce Gardner, Patrick Surtain and Christian Gonzalez all on the rise, Davis perfectly fits the bill at 6-foot-4 and 194 pounds. Davis didn't have much of a role in 2022, but took a big step up in 2023; as a full-time starter, he emerged as a man-coverage ace.

Davis, a rising true junior, is young for his class and has plenty of time to keep improving, a scary thought for the receivers against whom he'll be lining up in the NFL. His overall class ranking would imply that he could sneak into the back end of the first round, but given the strength at the top of this cornerback class- there's a clear top group of Will Johnson, Benjamin Morrison, Travis Hunter and to a lesser extent, Denzel Burke- expect him to fall into the second round and provide one lucky team with tremendous value.

Jonah Savaiinaea | Offensive tackle

ESPN's Matt Miller on Savaiinaea : "Power in the run game"

Prospect ranking: Pro Football Focus (No. 42), Tankathon (No. 35), Pro Football Network (No. 36)

Back on the offensive side of the ball, we'll check out one more Wildcat prospect, one who will help make things easier for Fifita and McMillan to produce at a high level this season. With 2024 first-rounder Jordan Morgan gone, Savaiinaea is the top man on the Arizona offensive line, and looks to anchor a unit that will contend in the new-look Big 12. At 6-foot-5 and 330 pounds, Savaiinaea is a tough guy to move, providing a great foundation for an offense, but displays impressive athleticism given his frame.

After the first couple of players, there's not much consensus on how exactly this offensive tackle class stacks up. Even if Savaiinaea isn't a "top-32" overall player in the class, if he ends up being perceived as a top-four or five offensive tackle in the class, which many sources think he is, he'll be a first-rounder simply due to the value of the position and the talent available this season. He's also picked up some experience playing guard, providing versatility that will appeal to NFL teams and help him have a role right away, or close to it.