2025 NFL Draft: 7 wide receiver, tight end prospects to keep an eye on feat. Tetairoa McMillan, Isaiah Bond and more
We’ve witnessed some very strong receiver drafts the past half-dozen years, including seven wideouts landing in the first round of last month's NFL Draft. The same can’t be said for the tight ends, as 2019 was the last time more than a single player at the position ended up in the first frame. Looking towards the 2025 NFL Draft, it seems neither position is especially strong or deep.
7 WR/TE's to watch out for in 2025 NFL Draft
1 - Tetairoa McMillan/WR/Arizona
If you’re looking for a game-controlling, dominant pass catcher in the Brian Thomas/Rome Odunze mold, then McMillan is your guy. The true junior from Arizona measures over 6-foot-4 and tips the scale close to 210 pounds. He’s a terrific pass catcher with reliable hands coming off a breakout season that included 90 receptions for 1,402 yards. Ineligible to enter the 2024 draft, expect McMillian to be a very early pick in next April's NFL Draft.
2 - Luther Burden III/WR/Missouri
Burden is the antithesis of McMillan, as he’s smaller but speedier and is a true home run threat as a receiver and return specialist. Burden is super quick and is a terrific route runner who can be impossible to stop. He’s also very effective running after the catch and has the breakaway speed required to leave opponents in the dust. At this point, I don’t expect Burden to be drafted as early as McMillan, but I do believe he’s a first-round NFL Draft prospect.
3 - Isaiah Bond/WR/Texas
In a bit of a surprise move, Bond takes his talents from Alabama to Texas. He was the Tide’s big-play threat a year ago and the favorite target of Jalen Milroe. Bond has a bit of a slender build, but he’s quick, agile and sure-handed. Speed, which Bond seems to possess, will be a critical factor in determining his draft grade.
4 - Barion Brown/WR/Kentucky
Brown is in the Isaiah Bond/Luther Burden mold as a big-play receiver who is a threat to score from anywhere on the field. And while Brown is slightly smaller than those two, he’s also much faster. Brown is a track-and-field sprint champion who transfers his sprinter’s speed onto the field. He’s a lot like Xavier Worthy, a first-round pick just a few weeks ago, as Brown is tough to cover and impossible to run with.
5 - Colston Loveland/TE/Michigan
From the moment he stepped on the field, Loveland -- who looks every bit an NBA prospect as he does an NFL prospect -- has the look and ability of a next-level tight end. He’s tall, long-armed and an imposing target who physically beats down defenders to make the reception while also displaying sure, reliable hands. Loveland is instinctive and shows outstanding vision on the field, always finding the opening in the defense and making himself an open target. He’s expected to be the first tight end selected in the 2025 NFL Draft, not as early as Brock Bowers, but rather in the late part of the initial round.
6 - Emeka Egbuka/WR/Ohio State
There were rumors throughout the 2023 season that Egbuka would enter this year’s NFL draft, yet when Ohio State opened the checkbook and offered a large NIL package, the receiver decided to return to Columbus. Egbuka is a taller, sure-handed possession wideout who plays with outstanding focus and determination. With Marvin Harrison Jr. now in the NFL, Egbuka becomes the Buckeyes’ No. 1 target in the passing game, and if he delivers, that will help his draft stock.
7 - Oronde Gadsden II/TE/Syracuse
Gadsen has terrific size, athleticism and ability. He also has terrific bloodlines, as his father was a receiver who spent the majority of his NFL career with the Dolphins. Gadsden is fundamentally sound, catches the ball extremely well and shows speed for a bigger pass catcher. He must now return from a Lisfranc injury that limited him to just one game last season, but if back to full health and prior playing form, Gadsden could make a big move up NFL draft boards.