The Carolina Panthers made Tetairoa McMillan the first full-time wide receiver off the board Thursday at the 2025 NFL Draft. No one was more upset about it than Dallas Cowboys star Micah Parsons.
McMillan was selected eighth overall at Lambeau Field ahead of every other wide receiver, except for the one who plays another position. Colorado two-star Travis Hunter went second overall to the Jacksonville Jaguars after a trade with the Cleveland Browns.
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Parsons watched the pick go down on a Bleacher Report live show, and was visibly upset when it was revealed, because the Cowboys were apparently eyeing McMillan with the 12th overall pick.
“That was supposed to be our pick,” Parsons said. “He was supposed to be opposite CeeDee Lamb. CeeDee, I’m sorry brother.”
The Cowboys ended up selecting Alabama offensive guard Tyler Booker with the 12th pick, rather than use it on any skill positions. And now, Booker knows for sure he wasn’t Plan A for his new team.
No McMillan leaves the Cowboys with a fairly thin wide receiver depth chart behind Lamb, with Jalen Tolbert and Jonathan Mingo as the next guys up. Given how deep this year’s wide receiver class is, it would be a stunner if Dallas finishes Day 2 of the draft without at least one reinforcement there.
McMillan was well-hyped as a potential WR1 in the pre-draft process, ranking fifth overall on Yahoo Sports’ final big board and as the top wide receiver. He projects as a classic X-receiver, with big-time size at 6-foot-4, 219 pounds, strong route-running and hands that can regularly win 50-50 balls.
McMillan was a three-year standout at Arizona, breaking out as a freshman with 702 receiving yards and eight touchdowns and earning consensus All-America honors last year. He left the Wildcats as the program’s all-time leader in receiving yards.
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The main knock against McMillan was his speed, though it’s not like he could be described as slow, just not a burner like, say, Matthew Golden of Texas. His tape shows more than adequate speed for a player of his size, but he declined to run the 40-yard dash in the pre-draft process.
McMillan loomed as a likely top-10 pick from the moment he declared for the draft and that came to pass Thursday, despite the Cowboys’ hopes. He’ll be joining a Panthers team with plenty of use for a young, dynamic wide receiver.
Tetairoa McMillan is everything teams look for in a big-bodied X receiver. (Photo by Christopher Hook/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
(Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Featuring Adam Thielen and Xavier Legette at wideout, last year’s Carolina team ranked 30th in the NFL in passing yards. They haven’t added any notable receivers in free agency, so McMillan is on track to have plenty of opportunities catching passes from Bryce Young as a rookie.
