2025 NFL Mock Draft: Early-Round Wide Receiver Predictions

As a Fantasy Football GM, do you do the same thing I do with NFL mock draft articles?

I pull them up and immediately begin quick scrolling for skill player names and landing spots. As my fingers move down the board, I wonder what this all could mean for my dynasty and redraft fantasy football teams. Instead of scrolling through 50, 60, or at least 100 player names to find the ones we focus on for fantasy football, I’m going to condense this with a new article series covering ONLY skill players and looking at where they could land in the NFL Draft based on expected draft position (EDP) from Mockdraftdatabase.com.

Before we dive into the fantasy football-friendly names and possible landing spots, check out my updated Dynasty Fantasy Football Rankings and Rookie Rankings at FantasyPros.

Ok, let’s get to the fantasy football goodness for the top five wide receivers per NFL Mock Draft Database EDP.

As a Fantasy Football GM, do you do the same thing I do with NFL mock draft articles?

Before we dive into the fantasy football-friendly names and possible landing spots, check out my updated Dynasty Fantasy Football Rankings and Rookie Rankings at FantasyPros.

Ok, let’s get to the fantasy football goodness for the top five wide receivers per NFL Mock Draft Database EDP.

Early-Round Wide Receiver Landing Spot Predictions

Tetairoa McMillan (WR – Arizona)

EDP: 10th

Scouting report:

6’5″ wide receivers should not move the way that McMillan does. When a player at McMillan’s size can run a crisp whip route, I take notice. McMillan can pull this off. His hips are fluid and allow him to uncover quickly at the top of his stem. Add in his footwork, and McMillan moves like a 6’1″ receiver. It’s incredibly impressive.
McMillan has no issues separating early and late in his routes. His start/stop ability and short area burst are exceptional. Yes, you’ll see some routes where McMillan has defenders muddying the catch point, but that doesn’t mean that he can’t separate.
McMillan is an underrated route technician. He adds subtle head fakes, jab steps, pacing variations, and more to his routes. McMillan understands leverage, when to sit down versus zone, exploiting a corner’s blindspot, and has multiple moments on film where he waits for a corner to flip their hips in the wrong direction before snapping off his route at the top of the stem.
McMillan has excellent body control in the air to play above the rim and in the red zone. He’s a catch-point bully with vice grips for hands. His catch radius is massive as he also has the flexibility to adjust to ankle biters and scoop them off his shoe laces. Over the last two seasons, McMillan secured 54.6% of his contested targets.
McMillan is battle-tested against man coverage. He has the upper body strength, play strength, release package, and route prowess to get loose from man coverage. Over the last two seasons, McMillan has had the third-most and the tenth-most man coverage targets (among FBS wide receivers) while also ranking eighth and tenth in yards per route run against man coverage.
McMillan can create YAC, unlike many wide receivers of his size. His combination of immediate acceleration and tackle-breaking shows up in the metrics. Last year, he ranked second in missed tackles forced and 27th in YAC.

Player Comp: Drake London with better YAC ability

Possible landing spots: Raiders, Carolina

Landing spot fit: The Raiders need a WR1 to plug in alongside Brock Bowers, and McMillan would give them that. Jakobi Meyers will be a free agent after this year and will not likely be part of the team’s plans after this year. Drafting McMillan would give Las Vegas two pillars to construct their passing game around for years to come.

Carolina is another team thirsting for a long-term WR1. Yes, I was a Coke head before it was cool, but asking Jalen Coker to assume the lead role for Carolina might be a tall order for the former UDFA. McMillan would give Carolina a proven man coverage beater. Over the last two collegiate seasons, McMillan faced the third-most and the tenth-most man coverage targets and ranked eighth and tenth in yards per route run against man coverage (per PFF).

Matthew Golden (WR – Texas)

EDP: 20th

Scouting report:

Golden is a smooth route runner. His varied release package and crisp moves at the top of his stem allow him to gain consistent, easy separation. Golden can gear down easily and drop his hips.
With Golden’s route running and fluid ability to change directions, he can carve up defenses in the short and intermediate areas of the field. He can be a high-volume wide receiver in the NFL while also possessing the speed to get downfield.
When he is utilized downfield, he exhibits strong ball tracking and a quick return to top speed with double moves. Golden can dance in corners blindspots or threaten the outside shoulder before snapping off his routes and leaving them in the dust.
He isn’t a ball-winner at the catch point or a monster after the catch. His lack of play strength can highlight his shortcomings. Golden had only 5.6 yards after the catch per reception in college and less than a 40% contested catch rate in two of his three seasons.

Player Comp: Tyler Lockett

Possible landing spots: Dallas, Arizona, Seattle

Landing spot fit: Each of these teams needs to add speed and a vertical element to their wide receiver room. Golden would be a better complement to CeeDee Lamb than, say, Tetairoa McMillan. Arizona tried to wedge Marvin Harrison into a field-stretching role last year with underwhelming results. They’d be wise to pivot from that plan fully in 2025. Seattle, you can make an argument that Marquez Valdes-Scantling is already on the roster, but he’s not a long-term answer there.

Emeka Egbuka (WR – Ohio State)

EDP: 33rd

Scouting report:

Egbuka’s 2023 and (early) 2024 seasons were affected by his ankle injury and subsequent tightrope procedure. Egbuka still produced in 2024, but this has to be mentioned when discussing his analytics and overall performance.
Egbuka has underrated speed. While he isn’t a burner by any stretch of the imagination, he can get downfield and create YAC with his legs. I don’t foresee Egbuka making a living off of YAC ability in its purest form or his skills as a field stretcher, but he does offer some value in these areas.
Egbuka isn’t an elite YAC threat or tackle-breaker. Since 2022, he never eclipsed 7.1 yards after the catch per reception or ten missed tackles in any season. That’s not to say he is a zero in either category, but these traits are more of a thin sliver of icing on the cake of his skillset.
Egbuka is a route-running wizard. He has the necessary strength, speed, release package, and savvy to win from the perimeter, but that’s not where you want him playing from for most of his snaps. Egbuka plays through contact well in his routes while offering the hand fighting and upper body strength to deal with physical corners.
Egbuka has the quick feet to dice up corners in the short and intermediate areas of the field. His fluid hips, bend, and laser-sharp feet allow him to carve up zone coverage with slants, crossers, out routes, deep overs, and more.
Egbuka’s hands are quite good. While he has a 5.5% drop rate in college, I think his 54.3% contested catch rate is more indicative of his trusty mitts.

Player Comp: Rashee Rice

Possible landing spots: Tennessee, Jacksonville

Landing spot fit: At this point in his career, the Titans can’t count on Treylon Burks. If Cam Ward truly is the first overall selection in this year’s draft, he’ll need more weapons to throw to outside of Burks, Van Jefferson, and Chig Okonkwo. Ridley can operate as the deep threat and the man coverage/single-high beater, while Egbuka eats up zone coverage.

It’s a similar situation in Jacksonville. They jettisoned Christian Kirk and Evan Engram, leaving only Dyami Brown, Parker Washington, Gabe Davis, and Brenton Strange as Trevor Lawrence‘s top options behind Brian Thomas Jr. Egbuka’s skill set would mesh well with Thomas Jr.

Luther Burden (WR – Missouri)

EDP: 34th

Scouting report:

Burden is a quick-twitch underneath slot weapon for offenses. Over the last two seasons, he ran 81.7-85.3% of his routes from the slot. Burden is a dynamic and fun player to watch with the ball in his hands. He can create YAC and yards for himself without needing perfectly blocked screenplays.
Burden’s usage at Missouri was somewhat gimmicky. He was utilized in bunch formations, in motion, with handoffs, and with rub routes a ton to create easy releases for him. Yes, the aim for Missouri was to get the ball in his hands in every way possible, but that doesn’t explain away the usage profile.
As a true route runner, Burden is more of a projection than a finished product. With a ton of his usage coming via schemed touches, the reps where Burden was asked to go out there, and route guys up were more limited. During his more traditional slot snaps, he was fed a bevy of ins, outs, and slot fades. You’ll occasionally see a seam shot in there for good measure.
While Burden might turn out to be a strong route runner because of his electric movement skills, that is only a projection. Stating that he is a strong route runner versus the hope that he can become a good route runner is a very different conversation. Entering the NFL, most coordinators should expect to integrate him into the offense with some gadgetry. Maybe he hits the ground running as a route technician, but there’s an equally strong chance that he doesn’t, and he has to mature in this area with on-the-job training in the NFL.
Burden plays larger than his size would suggest at the catch point. He has that “my ball mentality” and that dawg in him. Burden has a 55.8% contested catch rate over the last two seasons. This skill should help him in the red zone and if he experiences more muddy catch points in the NFL as he matures as a route runner.
Burden is an accomplished punt returner who can offer an NFL team value on special teams. In 2022, he was fifth in the SEC (32nd nationally) in punt return yards and ranked eighth in punt return average (among 66 players with at least 12 punt returns).

Player Comp: Peter Warrick

Possible landing spots: Cleveland, Washington (if he slips down the board)

Landing spot fit: With Elijah Moore gone, Cleveland has a glaring need at slot receiver. The Browns had the 13th-fewest (tied) screen attempts last year (per Fantasy Points Data). Increasing screen usage with Burden can only help dial up some easy completions in 2025 for whoever their starting quarterback is.

Speaking of screens…Washington loves them. They had the sixth-most screen attempts last year. Yes, they have Deebo Samuel on the roster to lead the way in that department this year, but Samuel is an unrestricted free agent after the 2025 season. Burden would give them an heir apparent who could also contribute on offense and special teams this season.

Jayden Higgins (WR – Iowa State)

EDP: 53rd

Scouting report:

Physical X wide receiver. Higgins’ play strength shows up in his routes and against press. He has no issues playing through contact and dealing with physical corners. It shows up consistently at the catch point, as he had a 2.2% drop rate or lower in each of the last three seasons and a 55.6% contested catch rate in college.
Higgins excels in the short/intermediate areas of the field with surprisingly nimble footwork for his size. He gets open at will on slants and out routes where his footwork shines, and he can use his size to box out corners. I wouldn’t be surprised if he were to transition to big slot in the NFL. If Sean Payton drafts him don’t be surprised if his turns him into Michael Thomas 2.0.
Higgins has a decent second gear, but I question his long speed. I wonder in the NFL if he has the raw speed to stack corners on the perimeter downfield consistently. Higgins has plenty of route nuance in the short and intermediate routes, but he has to continue to add tricks to the bag as a downfield receiver. He struggles to get separation on go routes, but he wasn’t asked to run them much at Iowa State. Higgins also needs to sell the vertical push on comebacks and curls consistently. He’ll get lax here at times, and it leaves corners glued to him after his route break.
He has nice body control in the air and some nice back-shoulder grabs, especially in the red zone. His strong hands and ability above the rim should help him on the perimeter and in the red zone in the NFL.
Higgins isn’t a dynamic YAC threat. He looks more like an athletic tight end after the catch. He can provide some YAC, though, with his physicality with tackle-breaking.

Player Comp: developmental Michael Thomas

Possible landing spots: Denver, Houston

Landing spot fit: Yes, I want to send the receiver that I compared to Michael Thomas to Denver to be with Sean Payton. Payton loves big-bodied wide receivers. This move for Higgins would allow them to utilize him this year alongside Courtland Sutton and Evan Engram before possibly stepping up as the team’s WR1 in 2026. Sutton will be a free agent after the 2025 season.

I hope Tank Dell will eventually be able to return and look like the player that we have come to love, but it’s not certain that will happen. Houston added Christian Kirk this offseason, but he’s a free agent after this season. Adding Higgins now would allow Kirk to move inside full-time to play slot while also giving Nico Collins a long-term running mate.