The New England Patriots have added several projected starters during Free Agency, but they come up short at the wide receiver position. After attempts to land DK Metcalf, Chris Godwin, and Cooper Kupp, among others, failed, the team must pivot to other options.
The latest mock draft from Kyle Stackpole of CBS has New England drafting a wide receiver early in the First Round, but it might not be the playmaker you've come to expect.
With Colorado WR/CB Travis Hunter drafted one spot ahead of them, Stackpole predicts the Patriots will select Arizona wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan at pick No. 4 in the First Round.
McMillan finished his three-year college career with 213 receptions, 3,423 receiving yards, and 26 touchdowns in 37 career games. He was named a Consensus All-American, made the All-Big 12 First Team, and won Polynesian College Football Player of the Year in 2024.
McMillan is viewed as one of the top wide receiver prospects in this year's class, but he's rarely projected this high in mock drafts.
He has good hands and a wide catch radius, but some talent evaluators question if he can regularly separate against NFL cornerbacks on the next level.
Drafting McMillan this early would be considered a reach by many, but New England's in a tricky spot at the wide receiver position.
They have a massive need at the position and they know the next tier of rookie wide receivers (Luther Burden, Matthew Golden, Emeka Egbuka) are unlikely to fall to their selection in the Second Round.
Related: Patriots Projected to Trade With Raiders, Paving Way for Major Selection
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This story was originally published March 16, 2025 at 10:30 PM.