The Tampa Bay Buccaneers won the NFC South for the second straight year behind Baker Mayfield, Mike Evans, and Bucky Irving. Their season ended with a disappointing loss in the Wild Card round against the Washington Commanders, and adding more offensive firepower could be on tap for Tampa Bay.
NFL analyst Daniel Jeremiah recently released his latest mock draft and predicts the Bucs will select a massive wide receiver with their first pick.
Daniel Jeremiah Predicts Tampa Bay Takes Arizona Wideout
Tampa Bay’s offense was on fire in 2024 coming in at No. 3 in PFSN’s Offense+ metric. Mayfield had the best season of his career, throwing for 4,500 yards and 41 touchdowns. He made the Pro Bowl and was a force, completing 71.4% of his passes, landing him at No. 6 in PFSN’s QB+ metric.
His supporting cast was excellent despite the loss of Chris Godwin to a dislocated ankle in Week 7. Evans continued his 1,000+ yards streak, eclipsing the mark in Week 18 while adding 11 touchdowns. Rookie receiver Jalen McMillan ended the season well, finishing with 74 receptions, 461 yards, and eight scores.
The biggest surprise for Tampa Bay was fourth-round running back Bucky Irving. The rookie rushed for 1,122 yards and eight touchdowns while adding 47 receptions and 392 yards through the air. This team is loaded again heading into 2025, but could lose Godwin to free agency.
If that happens, Jeremiah has them filling that need quickly by taking Arizona receiver Tetairoa McMillan at No. 19. He wrote, “McMillan could go earlier in Round 1, but Tampa Bay would be a perfect landing spot. Chris Godwin is due to become a free agent, and Mike Evans can’t play forever, can he?”
He enters the 2025 NFL Draft as one of the best receivers and overall players in the class. It is admittedly a weak receiver class compared to recent years, but he’d be highly regarded no matter what year he came out.
The Arizona product possesses very good size and overall athleticism for the position. He is a versatile receiver who can line up outside, in the slot, and even attached to the hip of the tight end so he can maximize mismatches against nickel corners and linebackers. This would be a great add for the Bucs, but PFSN has the McMillan pick going higher.
PFSN’s Anthony Pasciolla predicts the Dallas Cowboys trading up to select McMillan at No. 7 overall in his latest mock draft, with Tampa Bay selecting Marshall’s Mike Green at No. 19. Jeremiah recognized that he could go earlier than Tampa Bay, and Pasciolla’s prediction agrees with that thinking.
McMillan finished his college career with 84 receptions, 1,319 yards, and eight touchdowns, and he was a Consensus All-American in his final season. It capped two straight standout years for the receiver, who posted 1,402 yards on 90 receptions and 10 touchdowns as a true sophomore. Whoever ends up with the Arizona star will get an elite athlete with size and versatility to match.
