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The wide receiver position is one of the most valuable positions in the NFL. Starting wideouts are the second-highest paid in the NFL, trailing only quarterbacks. They also seem to be the most popular position in blockbuster trades these days with the top playmakers rarely smelling free agency.
With WR a major need on the Dallas Cowboys this season, it’s no wonder the object of most fans’ desire is Tetairoa McMillan, the All-American from Arizona. Aside from Travis Hunter, who plays both receiver and cornerback, McMillan is in a league of his own this draft cycle. According to consensus boards the next ranked WR this year, Matthew Golden, falls 10 spots below McMillan. Based on everything, McMillan seems like a no-brainer should he fall to the Cowboys at No. 12. But if a case could be made against it, what would it be?
If there’s a case against drafting a WR in the first round, it’s that the 2025 NFL draft isn’t a very strong WR class compared to previous years. For as good as McMillan is as a prospect, he would have been WR4, at best, if put in last year’s class.
Scouts generally feel that the state of the college game ensures drafts in the foreseeable future will be fairly rich in WR talent. By that logic 2026 and beyond will mark an improvement over the class this year. If the Cowboys wait a year, they may have a better pool of WRs to pick from, even if they’re picking later in the draft.
Such an attitude has consequences in the here-and-now, since the Cowboys are extremely thin on their WR depth chart. Banking on players like Jonathan Mingo or Jalen Tolbert to be starting quality is dangerous and the options behind them are nearly nonexistent.
WR is an enormous need and wisely a top target in the first round, but if a case can be made against it, it’s that a better WR class is on the horizon and if a better prospect at a different position is available it deserves the selection.
This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: Why the Cowboys may rethink drafting WR at No 12 in the 2025 NFL draft
Continue reading...
With WR a major need on the Dallas Cowboys this season, it’s no wonder the object of most fans’ desire is Tetairoa McMillan, the All-American from Arizona. Aside from Travis Hunter, who plays both receiver and cornerback, McMillan is in a league of his own this draft cycle. According to consensus boards the next ranked WR this year, Matthew Golden, falls 10 spots below McMillan. Based on everything, McMillan seems like a no-brainer should he fall to the Cowboys at No. 12. But if a case could be made against it, what would it be?
If there’s a case against drafting a WR in the first round, it’s that the 2025 NFL draft isn’t a very strong WR class compared to previous years. For as good as McMillan is as a prospect, he would have been WR4, at best, if put in last year’s class.
Scouts generally feel that the state of the college game ensures drafts in the foreseeable future will be fairly rich in WR talent. By that logic 2026 and beyond will mark an improvement over the class this year. If the Cowboys wait a year, they may have a better pool of WRs to pick from, even if they’re picking later in the draft.
Such an attitude has consequences in the here-and-now, since the Cowboys are extremely thin on their WR depth chart. Banking on players like Jonathan Mingo or Jalen Tolbert to be starting quality is dangerous and the options behind them are nearly nonexistent.
WR is an enormous need and wisely a top target in the first round, but if a case can be made against it, it’s that a better WR class is on the horizon and if a better prospect at a different position is available it deserves the selection.
This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: Why the Cowboys may rethink drafting WR at No 12 in the 2025 NFL draft
Continue reading...
