2025 NFL Mock Draft: Arizona Cardinals choose wide receiver
Tetairoa McMillian, WR, Arizona
Who are the Arizona Cardinals? There are answers to this question in the numbers: 3rd place in the NFC West with an 8-9 record. Picking 16th in the draft out of 32 teams. 12th in Total DVOA, 14th in weighted DVOA, 11th on Offense, 14th on Defense. If the playoff seeding was determined entirely by weighted DVOA, the Cards would have been in the dance. This is a team that is decently well coached (by a snake!* jk, or am I???) with a roster full of solid, good players. By a lot of accounts, this a competent football teamā¦
ā¦ That is so very, very, painfully mid.
Take a look up and down this roster some time. How many players can be described as elite right now? Trey McBride, who just signed for $32.5 million fully guaranteed, is talented but averages two touchdowns a year. Paris Johnson Jr only finally had a good year here in year three. Marv was at best the 3rd best receiver in his draft class. Budda Baker may be coasting on name recognition at this point. Kyler? He just keeps coming up short.
Sorry, couldnāt resist. Weāll circle back to Kyler later, though. For now, my point is that the Cardinals lack any sort of real threat, and by extension also lack an identity. This is a good team, but not one that anyone fears. Thereās nothing here that keeps opposing coordinators up at night trying to figure out a gameplan for. Thereās no real ace or gamewrecker on this roster. There are a bunch of good players here, but as a whole the team lacks a dangerous bite. And for that reason, weāre going best player available, taking the guy that has slid down boards because we spent too long watching him, and forcing defenses to deal with two towering wide receivers with seemingly limitless pass catching ranges. By my money, Tetās a top 10 talent in this draft easy, and adding a guy like that to the Cardās roster would be a coup.
Okay, but what aboutā¦?
This is a fun pick, but itās also gonna need me to defend it. So Iām gonna talk for a bit about the guys I thought about here and why I didnāt go with them. This was an interesting spot to pick from, as there were a lot of options here and I thought too much about this to simply ignore all of them. This is a weird draft where, besides what I consider the blue chip five (Carter, Hunter, Jeanty, Warren, Graham) it seemed like everyoneās boards were wildly different. Top ten picks for one person wouldnāt even be in the first round for others. Itās fun! And also hard to figure out a consensus on whoās a āgoodā pick. So I do want to talk about my thought process for a moment.
And Iāll start with a disclaimer and confession that might undermine my argument here a little bit, but it was a crucial element to me making the choice for Tetairoa: I was so pissed when the Cowboys took Banks at 12. I saw the way this draft was going and thought āOh, Jerry would rejuvenate 200 years and find the brisk vigor of a mere 175 year old man to literally fly the card in for Tet if this happened.ā I was doing early work for Banks, I was preparing for a Banks pick when my time came, and then the Cowboys took him. I was furious, but when Tet was still on the board as it got closer to my pick, I realized what this team really needed. And also, I need to bring up Banks as a comparison point to Josh Simmons.
Josh Simmons is a very good football player, and is probably the āsmartā pick here. Heās a talented guy at a position of need (well, more need than most) who probably does have legitimate first round value. Heās very good! But thereās a reason I was preparing for Banks. If this team goes OL, no matter what, theyāre going to be starting at guard this year. Both Tackle positions for the Cards are locked up this year, due to the aforementioned Paris Campbell Jr on one end and ā2nd highest paid player on the roster behind only Kylerā Jonah Williams on the other. Theyād probably take over for Williams at RT next year or in case of injury, but assuming all is well they really would just end up at RG all year, assuming they even start. As a result, youāll be getting probably a marginal improvement on the OL as your guy spends a year playing out of position. This is a solid plan in most cases, but it loses some shine when youāre considering settling for Josh Simmons (again, a good player! Probably the last true first round OT in this draft) in place of the younger, longer, healthier Banks. So in the spirit of not simply settling for a pick and instead really wanting the guy I end up picking, I looked for better options elsewhere.
I donāt want to linger too long on the rest of the field. Kenneth Grant is the one true first round NT prospect in this draft, and would be an excellent fit and help to this defense. Thereās just one problem:
Thatās over $14 million committed to the NT position already (Over $15 million if you count Former Eagle PJ Mustipher. Say hi, everybody!) Either all of that money or half of it and your 1st round pick is going to be riding the bench in the limited situations where you even have an NT on the field. The Cardsā front office kinda shot themselves in the foot signing Tomlinson like they did, at least if this situation comes up in the real draft. Grant would have been a great pick otherwise. Heck, heād still be a solid pick as both of those guys would probably be gone after this year if they did draft him.
Golden and Egbuka might have been a better āfitsā than Tet on this roster, but Eagles fans know very well the dangers of drafting for fit over talent at the WR position. And I do think Tet is a significantly better talent, or at least potentially more dominant one, than both of them. (For the record, Burden isnāt even in the same conversation for me)
Tyler Booker probably fills that OG need cleaner than anyone, but uhā¦
Yikes! I appreciate him at least trying these drills (a surprising rarity this year across most positions) but man, I cannot ignore those numbers.
Full confession, but I completely forgot about Jihaad Campbell. I think Arizona fans still have PTSD from taking first round LBs though, so I would pump the brakes on that one anyway no matter how much I like the player. Starks was actually remembered and considered, but I questioned the value of taking a safety here. I think pretty highly of Starks and heād be a decent fit, but I donāt know if he was going to be transformative for this team. That, and I do simply consider Tet a better player if weāre talking BPA. Coming back to DT, Walter Nolen would also be a decent fit but the Cards are pretty well off at the 3-4 DE positions, with a lot of draft capital and cap space already committed to it. And again, going BPA, Tet wins out.
Someone else can deal with Mike Green, I took him off my board outright. Heād be a good fit, but off the field stuff matters. I appreciate him deploying some tactical honesty in coming clean about his suspension from Virginia at the Combine. I less appreciate the way he sounded mostly annoyed by the allegations he faced.
I also briefly considered Shedeur here, partially for comedy reasons. Partially not. Again, weāll circle back to Kyler later.
Alright, enough of that. What about T-Mac?
Well, Tracey McGrady was a prolific scorer and a seven time all-star who played in the NBA from-
Alright, I kid, I kid.
Appreciation for Tetairoa McMillian comes in stages. The first and most obvious thing you see is that heās big. At 6ā 4ā and 219 lbs, heās got the size to handle press coverage and box out defenders on 50/50 balls. But if that was all he was, we wouldnāt be talking about him as a first rounder and I wouldnāt be describing him as a top 10 player. So what else does he have?
Well, at that 6ā 4ā and 219, heās almost as agile as any other receiver in this class. His footspeed is incredible to watch when you see him move, as his ability to cut and change direction at his size is phenomenal. He spends most of his routes almost in a jog because he is quick enough to make a DB look silly when he cuts in any direction. And yes I know he didnāt run an incredible 40, but he definitely runs fast enough to be a threat on any route, even on (and Iād argue especially on) go balls. When he does decide to turn on the jets, you do see it on film.
Because the big secret about Tet, the real reason heās WR1 in this class (higher than even Travis Hunter) is because he is technician with unreal instincts. His cuts are immaculate, he moves like a professional on tape and can run the entire route tree, which isnāt something you can say about even some of the greatest receivers at his size. Add onto that an honestly unreal level of focus when it comes to ball tracking. When the ballās in the air, Tet has an uncanny ability to effortlessly move around the defender and simply end up than a better position than his opponent. And even when itās a really bad throw (something he dealt with more often than he should) heās able to use that wingspan of his to get into as good of a position imaginable to possibly complete the catch. Itās not uncommon to see passing attempts that end with his arms extended to their limits in control of even some of the wildest balls. Winning with size is one thing, winning with size and wit is elite stuff.
There have been some concerns about his drive and willingness to fight, but when I watch him I donāt see a guy whoās scared or unwilling to make the effort. More often, he looks every bit the professional who believes in his technique and abilities. Why does he need to drive back to a ball when he knows the defender isnāt going to beat him there and heās already past the first down marker? Why does he need to go through a guy for a jump ball when a slight nudge at the right time will knock the other guy out of position to win? What some people consider a lack of aggressiveness, I see confidence. Sure, he may not be the most proficient blocker in the run game, but few WRs are. He is at least willing to do it, though. Recent scandal about whether or not he loves football aside, Tet has struck me as a guy who simply believes in himself, and doesnāt feel like he needs to prove that to the world. Sometimes thatās good, sometimes itās not. Iām betting on him being good enough for it not to matter.
There is also one other concern worth mentioning. So, on paper he has that size and weight to win against any DB, right? Well, in practice, heās surprisingly lean at his size. As a result, a DB who manages to jam him just right, either on release or more often in the middle of his route can knock him off course more than youād like. Personally, thatās where I would still like to see a little more edge from him, even if I downplay it as a serious flaw. That lack of edge maybe shows up in scramble drills too, where heās not the most reliable guy. He can find a soft spot in a zone, but bailing his QB out of a disaster isnāt his strong suit, which is maybe something that doesnāt mesh that well with a mini hurricane of a QB like Kyler Murray. Also, despite my praise, pretty much everything Iāve described is stuff that can and should still be improved. Just because he looks like a pro doesnāt mean heās a finished product. Thatās the nature of being a prospect, yāknow?
For the Cards, picking up the guy a mere two hour drive away means creating a serious mismatch against every defensive secondary in the league when paired with last yearās belle of the WR draft prospect ball in Marvin Harrison Jr and Trey āknocking on the door of eliteā McBride. Single covering Tet is barely more useful than zero covering him due to his ability to catch in traffic, (Colorado, even with Travis Hunter, still spent much of their game with Arizona double bracketing him) and simply forcing another defender over his way can potentially help Marv start looking like that otherworldly prospect he was touted as last year. No one, not Golden or Ekbuka (or Kyle Williams, everyone have a good point and laugh at Chris Simms!) and certainly not anyone currently on the Cards roster is going to have the gravitational pull that Tet is capable of drawing once he starts proving himself in the league.
The Cardinals donāt need a contributor, they need a gamebreaker. And they need it soon. Itās time for a brief word about Kyler.
By the numbers, Kyler isnāt a ābadā quarterback. Far from it, even! Him and Hurts are actually really similar in a lot of ways statistically. And maybe what Iām about to say isnāt fair. After all, the Cardinals havenāt been fielding the best teams in his time there, heās in a division thatās been pretty darn tough, and heās missed a significant amount of time with injuries. But the simple reality is that Kyler has not had nearly the same level of success in the league as his contemporaries at the QB position. Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson annually jostle for position in the hunt for MVP. Hurts just got a Superbowl ring. Mahomes has three. Joe Burrow made a Super Bowl appearance and is generally considered in that elite tier of QBs. Jayden Daniels looked like a revelation at the position in his rookie campaign just one year after CJ Stroud did the same. Herbert and T-Law have started in more playoff games. Bo Nix and Tua performed better in their one appearance loses than Kyler did. Thanks to mop up duty for the 2022 Eagles, Gardner Minshew has taken snaps in more playoff games than Kyler has.
Tuaās been the most notable guy on the starting QB hot seat for a variety of reasons, but this might be the year Kyler has to prove something as well. The Cards can cut him or trade him after this season, as the cap hit if they do isnāt impossible to deal with (A $47.5 Million dead cap hit if they do a post-June 1st cut after this year coming up, but technically saves on the total cap). If he doesnāt do well, this could be his last year starting as an Arizona Cardinal. If you really want to give him the best shot to prove himself this year, you shift this offense into hyperdrive and see what he can do with it. An OT may be smart for the future, an NT might be wise to build around down the line. But if you consider that this team might quietly need to start winning right now, Tetairoa makes sense as the best choice here.
Oh, and as a bonus, Iām pretty sure this pick would put a wrench in the Seahawks plans two picks down. Gotta find victories everywhere you can.
*Fun fact: That whole debacle ended up getting the Eagles Sydney Brown and netting the Cardinals Michael Wilson and a rental of The Passtronaut which isā¦ technically a losing trade for the (better) Birds? Sydneyās struggled to get on the field while Wilsonās been a solid player. But thatās kind of the whole point of the problem with the Cardinals, though. This is a roster that consists of a ton of Michael Wilsons, and almost no one to really define the team around. Tetās potential to be an elite player is desperately needed on this roster.
Poll
Do you approve of this pick?
65%
34%
125 votes total
Vote Now
2025 BGN Mock Draft Order
1) Titans (JoeDirtsBarber): Travis Hunter, WR/CB, Colorado
2) Browns (kjb304): Abdul Carter, EDGE, Penn State
3) Giants (The Player Formerly Known as Mousecop): Cam Ward, QB, Miami
4) Patriots (ReginaldHtower): Will Campbell, OT, LSU
5) Jaguars (eaglenomics): Mason Graham, DT, Michigan
6) Raiders (dkays): Ashton Jeanty, RB, Boise State
7) Jets (Stick19154): Tyler Warren, TE, Penn State
8) Panthers (89Tremaine): Will Johnson, CB, Michigan
9) Saints (FierceDisc65): Jalon Walker, EDGE, Georgia
10) Bears (DrprofBubbles): Mykel Williams, EDGE, Georgia
11) 49ers (granthill7): Armand Membou, OT, Missouri
12) Cowboys (Be subpar for JaāMarr): Kelvin Banks Jr., OT, Texas
13) Dolphins (thehead92): Jahdae Barron, CB, Texas
14) Colts (green1us): Grey Zabel, OL, North Dakota State
15) Falcons (All_Hail_Howie): James Peace Jr., EDGE, Tennessee
16) Cardinals (Good Bad Ideas): Tetairoa McMillan, WR, Arizona
17) Bengals (ablesser88)
18) Seahawks (herbalonius)
19) Buccaneers (Hoosinole)
20) Broncos (Silverlark60)
21) Steelers (Dr.MidnightGreen)
22) Chargers (LancGuy)
23) Packers (Leo Bedio)
24) Vikings (krikkebelgium)
25) Texans (Aint1stULast)
26) Rams (Booth12)
27) Ravens (pheebthegoose)
28) Lions (Neil Dutton)
29) Commanders (Mailata_in_a_Miata)
30) Bills (PhilaWolverine)
31) Chiefs (niels.rosenquist)
32) Eagles (Philly21)
Now itās time for you to vote for who YOU think should be selected in the 2025 BGN Community Consensus Mock Draft.
Poll
Who should the Cardinals pick at No. 16 overall?
6%
DT Kenneth Grant
(6 votes)
9%
QB Shedeur Sanders
(9 votes)
23%
EDGE James Pearce Jr.
(23 votes)
7%
EDGE Mike Green
(7 votes)
6%
EDGE Shemar Stewart
(6 votes)
5%
DT Walter Nolen
(5 votes)
6%
OG Tyler Booker
(6 votes)
9%
8%
WR Matthew Golden
(8 votes)
3%
WR Luther Burden
(3 votes)
4%
DT Derrick Harmon
(4 votes)
7%
LB Jihaad Campbell
(7 votes)
6%
CB Jahdae Barron
(6 votes)
99 votes total
Vote Now
1) Titans: QB Cam Ward
2) Browns: EDGE Abdul Carter
3) Giants: WR/CB Travis Hunter
4) Patriots: OT Will Campbell
5) Jaguars: DT Mason Graham
6) Raiders: RB Ashton Jeanty
7) Jets: OT Armand Membou
8) Panthers: CB Will Johnson
9) Saints: EDGE Jalon Walker
10) Bears: TE Tyler Warren
11) 49ers: OT Kelvin Banks Jr.
12) Cowboys: WR Tetairoa McMillan
13) Dolphins: OT Josh Simmons
14) Colts: TE Colston Loveland
15) Falcons: EDGE Mykel Williams
16)
