2025 AAPI NFL Draft Picks
Tetairoa McMillan became the first player to place a lei around the commissioner at the NFL Draft
| Pick | Player | Pos | School | Team | Heritage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R1 #8 | Tetairoa McMillan | WR | Arizona |  CAR | 🌺Native Hawaiian |
| R2 #37 | Jonah Savaiinaea | OT | Arizona |  MIA | 🇦🇸American Samoan |
| R2 #45 | JT Tuimoloau | EDGE | Ohio State |  IND | 🇼🇸Samoan |
| R3 #94 | Dillon Gabriel | QB | Oregon |  CLE | 🌺Filipino & Hawaiian |
| R5 #162 | Francisco Mauigoa | LB | Miami |  NYJ | 🇦🇸American Samoan |
| R7 #248 | Moliki Matavao | TE | UCLA |  NO | 🇼🇸Samoan |
AAPI Players in the 2025 NFL Draft
The 2025 NFL Draft saw 6 AAPI athletes selected, headlined by Tetairoa McMillan (WR, Arizona) at pick #8 — who made history by placing a lei around the NFL commissioner at the podium. McMillan, of Native Hawaiian descent and the 2024 Polynesian College Football Player of the Year, was the lone first-rounder among AAPI players.
Other notable selections included JT Tuimoloau (EDGE, Ohio State) in Round 2, the 2020 Polynesian HS Player of the Year who recorded 23.5 sacks at Ohio State, and Dillon Gabriel (QB, Oregon), the 2024 Big Ten MVP of Filipino and Hawaiian descent. Francisco Mauigoa — brother of 2026 prospect Francis — was drafted by the Jets in Round 5.
See how analysts predicted these picks on the leaderboard, or browse the full 2025 prospect database.