The quarterback and number one receiver share a special bond. Sometimes, the two have times where they lock eyes and know what the other is thinking. That is what happened this year at BYU with Zach Wilson and Dax Milne. After only having 31 catches during his first two years at BYU, Milne burst onto the scene this year, catching 70 passes for 1,188 yards and eight touchdowns. Fortunately for him, his quarterback was also his roommate. With Wilson declaring for the draft, Milne followed in hopes that his one year of outstanding production would shoot him up draft boards.
Make sure to check out all of our other 2021 NFL Draft Scouting Reports.
Player Bio
Name: Dax Milne
Jersey: #5
Position: Wide Receiver
School: BYU
Class: Junior
Height: 6’0”
Weight: 190 lbs
Route Tree (9/10)
One of Milne’s best traits is his route running. He has crisp breaks out of his routes, and he creates separation by his finesse rather than his speed in these situations. Milne can run routes at any level of the field but specialized in deep areas of the field during the 2020 season.
Hands (9.5/10)
Of the draft-eligible receivers with at least 73 targets in 2020, Milne ranks with the third-lowest drop percentage, with just 2.8 percent of his passes resulting in drops. He rarely drops the ball and shows great concentration in contested catch situations.
Contested Catch (9/10)
As stated above, his contested catching is great. A defender can be draped all over him, and Milne will snag the ball and somehow come down with it. That was the case on the very first offensive play against Houston, where Milne caught a contested pass and took it the distance for a score.
RAC (6/10)
The scouting report got off to a rocking start and now cools off. Milne’s run after catch ability is only average and doesn’t create much additional yardage. He won’t evade defenders with the ball in his hands and requires an open lane to gain yardage after the catch.
Speed (6.75/10)
Milne doesn’t have elite speed or even above-average speed. He ran a 4.57 40-yard dash time, which is why he isn’t higher on draft boards. He relies heavily on his technique and footwork to create separation instead.
Fluidity (7/10)
Milne struggles a bit in the middle areas of the field. He isn’t going to wow anyone by making high-jumping plays but will make some plays based upon his IQ and great relationship with the quarterback.
Release (8/10)
Milne wins off the line of scrimmage with his footwork. He uses a lot of false steps to get the defender off guard and then makes his move to the inside or outside. Milne can do some hand-fighting as well.
Vertical Receiving (8.25/10)
Milne averaged over 17 yards per reception during the 2020 season. He doesn’t have the speed to be a deep threat and instead used his contested catch ability and defined route running to get him separation on the deep areas of the field.
Athleticism (5/10)
Milne isn’t an elite athlete by any means. His relative athletic score was only 4.59 out of 10. He is a much better player in terms of his agility, which was the area of the testing he scored the best.
Blocking (4/5)
Milne is surprisingly a great blocker. BYU had an outstanding offensive line and rushing attack to pair with Wilson and Milne in the passing game. Milne can push around defensive backs and was even used as the lead blocker on some receiver screens.
Injury (5/5)
Milne’s injury sheet appears to be clean.
Player Summary
Milne is one of the draft’s best secrets. While he isn’t a secret, he is further down the draft board than he should be. Milne can play on the outside and from the slot. He wins using his technique in his route running and has great hands. Milne struggles with his athletic ability, which is the main reason why he won’t be selected on the first two days of the draft. Milne and Wilson were similar to what the Packers had with Aaron Rodgers and Jordy Nelson during their time with Green Bay. On day three of the draft, the Jets should take a long look at Milne and add him to their disposal of weapons that they already added to during the free agency period. Milne is a reliable fourth receiver that will have an immediate connection with Wilson if the Jets were to select him.
Final Grade (77.5/100): Late Third Round
Player Comparison: Smaller Jordy Nelson
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