A big body receiver is starting to fall into Green Bay’s lap
If you’re keeping an eye on draft rankings, one name is starting to slip. That name belongs to Tetairoa McMillan, who was previously considered the top full-time receiver in the 2025 draft. I say full-time because no one is certain where Colorado’s Travis Hunter, the 2024 Heisman Trophy Award winner, will be playing at the NFL level — be it receiver or cornerback.
On the consensus draft board, despite McMillan’s recent “slip,” he’s still ranked as the seventh overall player in the class. He started high, though, peaking at fourth overall.
Now, we’re starting to hear well-connected evaluators explain their doubts about McMillan being a true blue-chip prospect in this draft. Below is what NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah wrote about McMillan, who he ranked 14th overall in his most recent big board:
McMillan is a tall, rangy receiver with a Drake London-like skill set. He primarily lines up outside, though he’ll take some reps in the slot. He lacks ideal suddenness or burst in his release, but he’s a smooth, easy mover. His tape is littered with contested catches. Some of that spawns from an inability to consistently create separation, but it’s also because he’s so comfortable using his plus size to win 50/50 balls. He has outstanding body control and high-point skills. His catch radius is a real weapon in the red zone. He’s been productive after the catch because of his strength and physicality. Overall, I thought London played with more urgency as a prospect, but McMillan has the potential to provide a similar impact at the next level.
On a podcast this week, ESPN’s Mel Kiper stated that teams are telling him that McMillan is going to go in the pick #12 to pick #20 range, rather than him being a top-10 lock. That’s a pretty significant change.
As we’ve written about before at APC, there aren’t many wide receivers who are as big as Matt LaFleur likes and who also possess the field-stretching speed that the Green Bay Packers are going to need to replace with Christian Watson being out for at least most of the 2025 regular season. One of those receivers in the upcoming draft is McMillan…you get where I’m going here.
We say this every offseason, but this really might be the year that the Packers pull the trigger on a first-round receiver. The immediate need and the Day 2 and Day 3 scarcity actually lines up this time. Depending on how free agency plays out, it very well could be Green Bay’s biggest draft need when they’re on the clock with the 23rd overall pick.
By the way, Kiper’s recent mock draft reflects the words he stated on that podcast. McMillan went 22nd overall to the Los Angeles Chargers, one pick ahead of the Packers. One pick ahead of McMillan went Ohio State’s Emeka Egbuka, another one of the handful of players who actually fit what Green Bay needs in 2025.