No matter who is playing quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2025, the team cannot expect to have more success on the offensive side of the ball if it doesn’t upgrade its weapons.
General manager Omar Khan did his best to accomplish that feat in 2024 when he tried to trade for Brandon Aiyuk and Davante Adams, but he failed at landing both. Instead, Pittsburgh had to settle for Mike Williams, who didn’t provide what the Steelers needed.
Not only do the Steelers need a player who can provide an immediate impact for this coming season, they may also need a long-term answer with George Pickens set to hit free agency in 2026.
With all that in mind, CBS Sports’ Blake Brockermeyer predicts the Steelers will land Arizona wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan with the No. 21 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
“The 6-foot-5 Tetairoa McMillan has dominated as expected, making contested catches look routine. His fluidity, strong hands, and willingness to go across the middle make him a reliable target,” Brockenmeyer wrote.
“However, his lack of elite speed limits his role to the short and intermediate game. His draft stock will depend heavily on his testing numbers; McMillan is not a burner.”
This is a shocking pick for the Steelers. In every mock draft we’ve seen so far this offseason, McMillan has been projected as a top-10 pick.
McMillan is widely considered the best wide receiver in this year’s draft. The only real questions about him are his speed, which isn’t considered elite, as Brockenmeyer points out, and his ability to consistently separate.
Other than that, he’s got plenty of tools to be a successful wide receiver, thanks to his size, athleticism and physicality. McMillan displayed his dominance the past two years, when he tallied over 2,700 yards and 18 touchdowns in that span. McMillan finished his college career with 3,423 yards and 26 scores.
McMillan could step in and serve as the No. 2 right away in Pittsburgh if Khan fails to land a veteran in free agency, and he can eventually take the reins as the team’s top wideout if the Steelers part with George Pickens at any point.
It remains to be seen if the Steelers would take a wide receiver this high, but if the Arizona product were to slide this far into the first round, Pittsburgh would be hard-pressed to pass up on him.
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