Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard. This cliche phrase is more apparent at the highest levels of a sport than anywhere else. Many talented NFL prospects have flamed out once they reached the league because they didn’t commit to the grind. Meanwhile, less physically gifted players have carved out impressive careers because of their devotion to the game.
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When talent and hard work come together, Hall of Famers emerge. Ray Lewis and Peyton Manning personify it. Lewis has the most tackles (2,059) in NFL history. Manning has won more MVP awards (5) than anyone else in NFL history. Both men captured two Lombardi Trophies in their playing days. And they wouldn’t have recorded those feats if not for dedicated film study beyond their usual practice work.
Cam Newton knows how true that last statement is. He praised Lewis on the latest episode of his 4th&1 podcast for adjusting his study habits to better combat Manning. Their battles, to him, represent exactly what football should be at the professional level.
“That’s chess… the master class of a Peyton Manning. The master class of a Tom Brady… what Ray Lewis started to realize [about Manning] was, ‘if we’re setting the defense, [we’re] giving him at least 25 seconds… to get the offense in the best play… so we [should] give the real defense around 10 seconds.'”
Newton believes studying film is the “real superpower of the NFL.” Despite this, he isn’t holding a high-level wide receiver prospect’s lack of tape study against him ahead of the 2025 NFL Draft.
Arizona wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan is probably going to be a top-10 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. The 2024 All-American didn’t do himself any favors, though, by revealing he doesn’t partake in film study on his own accord. This sparked an intense debate between Shannon Sharpe and Chad Johnson over how successful McMillan could be in the league.
Knowing Newton’s opinion on the importance of film study, he surely lacks confidence in McMillan’s ability to be a quality NFL receiver, right? Wrong.
He thinks McMillan’s on-field production is what supports his lofty projection. However, he is adamant McMillan must learn how to analyze tape now that he’s entering the league.
“This is not affecting his draft status… you’re getting drafted because of what you’ve done on the field… he hasn’t needed to watch film… will he need to watch film? Absolutely… [he’ll need] to know how to study the game. That is now the coach’s responsibility,” he said in defense.
Even with Travis Hunter in the equation, some analysts consider McMillan to be the best wideout in this draft class. His upside is tantalizing. But he must put in the work to make the most of his opportunity. We’ll see which organization has faith in him doing so when his name is called on Apr. 24.
