Tetairoa McMillan 2025 NFL Draft landing spots: Ranking five best fits for top WR prospect

The 2025 NFL Draft isn’t as loaded at the wide receiver position as years past, but it still has some top-end talent. The cream of the crop of this year’s bunch at the position starts with Arizona Wildcats All-American Tetairoa McMillan.

He’s 6’5, weighs 210 pounds and he has a catch radius reminiscent of Mr. Fantastic. McMillan also possesses the ball skills to routinely make catches on jump balls deep down the field look routine, and he also has a great instinct for being able to change the tempo of his routes to free himself underneath as well. McMillan could stand to go more pedal to the metal on deep routes to avoid some of the contested catch situations he finds himself in, but he gets away with it at the college level. It won’t be as easy at the NFL level, but his size and tracking abilities provide him with plenty of tools to succeed in the pro’s right away.

McMillan’s college production matches the eye test: he led the nation in receiving yards (3,423, an Arizona program record) and catches of 20 or more air yards (35) during his three-year Wildcat career. 

* Arizona program record

So where are the best places for McMillan based on fit and where he is likely to be selected in the 2025 NFL Draft? Here are five teams that make sense based on both pieces of criteria. 

5. New Orleans Saints (9th overall)

The New Orleans Saints have a decent supporting cast for quarterback Derek Carr: five-time Pro Bowl running back Alvin Kamara, 2022 first-round pick wide receiver Chris Olave and speed demon wide receiver Rashid Shaheed. However, the Saints need a big, physical wide receiver who can make the tough, contested catches in the red zone that will be that third, reliable option in the passing game. McMillan can be that guy. Both Olave and Shaheed are six foot even, and the size McMillan brings could really open up the field for new head coach Kellen Moore’s offense. New Orleans has one more year in cap hell before things clear up in 2026, so the top of the draft will be their best chance to get an impact playmaker this offseason. 

4. New York Jets (7th overall)

The Aaron Rodgers’ era is over with the Jets, so the quarterback position here is a question mark at this point in the offseason. However, New York could still be a strong spot for McMillan. There’s a good chance All-Pro, veteran wide receiver Davante Adams could be moved with his BFF in Rodgers headed out the door. That said, McMillan could still develop with a young, talented offensive core featuring wide receiver Garrett Wilson, running back Breece Hall and guard Alijah Vera-Tucker. 

New Jets offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand, who was previously the Detroit Lions passing game coordinator under Ben Johnson, helped designed an offense in which Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams and big-bodied tight end Sam LaPorta all put up big numbers in the league’s highest-scoring offense. McMillan would fit nicely in a similar attack. 

3. Jacksonville Jaguars (5th overall)

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers averaged 29.5 points per game in 2024 under new Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Liam Coen, who was Tampa Bay’s offensive coordinator last season. Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield had the best year of his career and set single-season franchise records for completion percentage (71.4%) and passer rating (106.8) under Coen’s guidance. 

Jacksonville also already has a No. 1 wide receiver in Brian Thomas Jr.: he became the fourth rookie since the 1970 AFL/NFL merger with 1,200 or more yards receiving (1,282) and 10 or more receiving touchdowns (10), joining Pro Football Hall of Famer Randy Moss, Odell Beckham Jr. and Ja’Marr Chase. McMillan can be a strong complement to Thomas, which will allow Christian Kirk to remain where he’s most comfortable in the slot. Coen had the Buccaneers’ offense humming with two receivers thriving whether it was Chris Godwin and Mike Evans early in the year or Evans and Jalen McMillan late in the season. Tetairoa McMillan could thrive in Jacksonville. 

2. Chicago Bears (10th overall)

The Chicago Bears hired Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, the architect of the NFL’s highest scoring offense (33.2 points per game) to be their next head coach. Plus, they have Caleb Williams, the 2024 first overall pick, at quarterback, and two highly-talented receivers in DJ Moore and Rome Odunze, the ninth overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. 

Chicago had a vision for a three-headed monster trio at wide receiver last year in Moore, Oduzne and six-time Pro Bowler Keenan Allen, but Allen had already lost too much of a step at age 32 to hold up his end of the bargain. The Bears could go all in on Johnson and Williams by giving them the draft’s top receiver, should he slide this far. 

1. Dallas Cowboys (12th overall)

When Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott was last healthy in 2023, he led the NFL in touchdown passes (36) and All-Pro wide receiver CeeDee Lamb led the NFL in catches (135) in the league’s No. 1 scoring offense (29.9 points per game). If for some wild reason McMillan falls down to pick No. 12, Dallas could pair McMillan with Lamb to create their best one-two punch at the wide receiver position since Amari Cooper was last in town alongside Lamb in 2021. 

Opposing defenses being unable to zero in on Lamb, who can line up anywhere across the formation, because of the size and big play ability McMillan has could allow for the offensive fireworks to return to Dallas.