The Seattle Seahawks find themselves in the middle of a complete offensive rebuild this offseason. The team has traded away its starting quarterback, Geno Smith, and star receiver, DK Metcalf. They also bid farewell to Seahawks legend and fan favorite Tyler Lockett in free agency.
The team has restocked its offense by adding Sam Darnold, Cooper Kupp, and Marques Valdez-Scantling. PFSN’s Jacob Infante compiled a three-round mock draft that has them going a step further and drafting a top receiver prospect in the first round.
Seahawks Draft WR Prospect Tetairoa McMillan in Latest PFSN Mock Draft
Darnold appeared to get his career back on track in 2024, leading the Minnesota Vikings to a playoff appearance after stepping in for the injured J.J. McCarthy. And, looking at the current crop of Seahawks’ playmakers, there is plenty of hope.
Kupp has long been one of the NFL’s top receivers when healthy. Valdez-Scanting has underwhelmed for periods of his career but flashed his deep-threat ability when working with new Seahawks’ offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak in 2024.
But after losing three fan favorites that had made up the identity of the team’s offense for several years, it will take some time for Seahawks’ fans to recognize the new lineup as theirs. Drafting a top receiver straight out of college would go a long way to fixing that, and Arizona’s Tetairoa McMillan would be the perfect fit, according to Infante.
“After trading [Geno] Smith and DK Metcalf, the Seattle Seahawks brought in Sam Darnold as their quarterback. They’re still in need of another target opposite Jaxon Smith-Njigba, however,” Infante wrote. “Tetairoa McMillan is a big receiver with strong hands and ball skills. He’s fluid for his size and creates separation with his physical traits.”
Smith-Njigba was the team’s leading receiver in 2024. And while Kupp is a solid addition to the receiver room, he’ll almost certainly be remembered forever as a Los Angeles Ram. Pairing McMillan with Smith-Njigba would give the feeling of an exciting new era in Seattle, replacing the cobbled-together appearance of the team’s current roster.
What Would Tetairoa McMillan Bring to Seattle?
McMillan would immediately give the Seahawks a physical receiving option that they lost when Metcalf left for the Pittsburgh Steelers. While not the physical alien that Metcalf has been over his six NFL seasons, McMillan is a big-bodied receiver who uses his size, as well as his immense technical skill, to dominate defensive backs.
As summed up in his PFSN draft profile, McMillan has the mobility and fluidity often reserved for smaller receivers. He concluded a prolific three-year college career at Arizona by catching 213 balls for 3,423 yards with 26 receiving touchdowns.
Brentley Weissman wrote: “McMillan is a big-bodied pass catcher with an outstanding catch radius and hands. He is a former basketball player and plays the game similar to a power forward, as he always knows how to position himself in front of the defender to get and win the football. McMillan has rare ball skills and is an outstanding contested catch and red-zone threat.
“While McMillan has everything you would want in a big-bodied possession-type receiver, what sets him apart is that he actually has the athleticism of a receiver who is smaller in stature. McMillan is a smooth and fluid mover who gets out of his breaks with ease and doesn’t struggle to sink his hips and change direction, something bigger receivers usually struggle with.”
After some obvious concerns regarding the team’s outgoing stars, adding McMillan to the team’s new-look receiver room would be cause for excitement in Seattle.