Dax Milne NFL Draft Overview
Position: Wide Receiver
Height: 6-foot-1”
Weight: 193 pounds
Arms: 29 ⅜”
Hands: 9 ⅜”
School: BYU
Pro Day Performance Data
40-yard dash: 4.54
Vertical: 31”
Bench press: 14 reps
Broad: 114”
Three cone: 6.85
Dax Milne 2021 NFL Draft Profile
Milne has an athletic background that dates back to his days as a high school athlete. Milne played for Utah’s Bingham High School where he starred on both the school’s basketball and football teams. The high school athlete played for three state championship football teams while also playing on two state championship basketball teams. Moreover, Milne’s father, Darren Milne, was an All-Conference baseball player for BYU before getting drafted by the Detroit Tigers.
Milne committed to BYU before seeing immediate playing time as a 2018 true freshman. He appeared in all ten games for the Cougars catching just ten passes for 69 yards and one touchdown. Milne’s following season as a 2019 sophomore was much improved. Milne finished the season having appeared in all 13 games and catching 21 passes for 285 yards and two touchdowns. Additionally, Milne saw action as a special teamer and tallied two kickoff returns for 32 yards and five punt returns for 57 yards. Last season, as a 2020 junior, Milne had by far his best collegiate season. Milne appeared in all 12 games and tallied an impressive 70 receptions for 1,188 yards and eight touchdowns while becoming a favorite target of top draft prospect, Zach Wilson.
Strengths
- Has a lot of natural athleticism and comes from an athletic family;
- Good body control within routes and while adjusting to the ball;
- Has NFL size and mass for the receiver position;
- Impressive quickness and foot speed for his size which shows up in shorts and on the field;
- Solid hands and ball tracking ability;
- Very competitive player;
- Good footwork when breaking down and coming out of his routes.
Weaknesses
- Played just two real seasons at a lower level of competition;
- Questions as to whether he is just a product of Zach Wilson’s talent;
- Not a burner with top end deep threat speed;
- Very much a possession receiver who offers little after the catch value;
- Lacks a serious second gear which could limit his usage at the next level.
NFL Comparison: Chris Hogan
Teams With Need at Position: Tennessee Titans, New Orleans Saints, New England Patriots, Detroit Lions, Philadelphia Eagles, Miami Dolphins, Chicago Bears, Cincinnati Bengals
Projection: Third Round
The Bottom Line
It will be interesting to see how different teams grade Milne because he is very much a scheme-dependent receiver. Milne is very much a possession receiver with limited big play ability which may turn a team like the Patriots on while turning a team like the Chiefs off. He has good size for the position in addition to having impressive quickness and foot speed in short areas. Milne struggles to separate downfield, but in short to intermediate areas Milne shows good awareness for defensive soft spots.
Furthermore, Milne has very strong hands and rarely drops passes. He will not give a team very much after the catch production, but Milne quickly gets open underneath and holds onto the football through contact. There are questions as to whether or not Milne is simply a product of Wilson and while he will need time to develop at the next level, Milne is an intriguing prospect within the right offensive system.
Main photo:
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