The 2025 NFL Draft is fast approaching and for the first time, it will take place in Green Bay. The Green Bay Packers have the 23rd overall pick in the first round and eight picks overall. This is the next in a series of articles looking at players the Packers may be interested in selecting in the early rounds of this year’s draft. The only players listed here are realistic possibilities for the Packers GM Brian Gutekunst to pick in the first or second round of the draft or who fill specific needs for the team right now. Today we will examine wide receivers. Here are five wide receivers the Packers could select in the early rounds of the 2025 NFL Draft.
The State of the Packers Wide Receivers Entering the 2025 NFL Draft
The Packers have talent at wide receiver but do not have a go-to receiver with proven production. They know they will be without Christian Watson for at least the first half of the 2025 campaign as he rehabs from knee surgery.
As of now, the starters are expected to be Romeo Doubs and Dontayvion Wicks on the boundary with Jayden Reed starting in the slot.
Depth will be provided by Bo Melton, Malik Heath, and Mecole Hardman.
Watson and Doubs will enter the final year of their contracts and can become an unrestricted free agent next offseason.
So here is a list of possible wide receivers the Packers may take early in the 2025 draft. They are not listed in any particular order. These are not the best available players but are players the Packers could take if they use the 23rd pick or trade up grab them a bit sooner.
Wide Receivers the Packers Could Select in the Early Rounds of the 2025 NFL Draft, Number One: Tetairoa McMillan, Arizona
Tetairoa McMillan grades out as the top receiving prospect in this year’s draft according to most scouts. The Packers will almost certainly need to trade up if they want to select him as it is doubtful he’s still available at 23.
McMillan stands 6’4” and weighs 213 pounds. He’s not an elite burner, having run a 4.53 40-yard dash at his pro day. He is tall and has big hands which he uses well to catch the football away from his body. He also runs precision pass patterns that allow quarterbacks to know exactly where he will be on a given play.
The Arizona alum will need to learn the more complex NFL playbooks and how to handle press coverage. He will probably need to get stronger to do that.
If the Packers are looking for a receiver who can make an immediate impact this season, McMillan should be their top target.
Number Two: Emeka Egbuka, Ohio State
Emeka Egbuka would provide the Packers with a very productive college receiver who has good skills in many areas but who may not be elite in any of them. He runs smart and precise routes and catches the ball well. Egbuka also has a great understanding of the offense and plays accordingly.
The biggest question about Egbuka may be that he has usually been the number two option at Ohio State but never the number one receiver. Could he handle facing a higher level of cornerback in the NFL and remain productive?
Egbuka played both the boundary and in the slot but played his best ball inside. The Packers already have a receiver to fill that role in Reed.
However, Egbuka would give the Packers another receiver who could likely contribute during his rookie year and who may help the team cut down on drops and increase consistency.
Wide Receivers the Packers Could Select in the Early Rounds of the 2025 NFL Draft, Number Three: Jayden Higgins, Iowa State
Jayden Higgins may be one of the best pure possession receivers in this year’s draft, but he doesn’t provide much of a downfield threat. At 6’4”, 215 pounds, he provides good size and leaping ability. Higgins also has great hands and did not drop a pass in 117 targets at Iowa State of 10 yards or more.
One area Higgins needs to improve on is what he does after the catch. He doesn’t seem very elusive with the ball in his hands.
Higgins could provide the Packers with a third-down specialist who can move the sticks consistently on short and intermediate routes. He projects as more of a second or third round player than as a first rounder.
Number Four: Matthew Golden, Texas
Matthew Golden combines 4.29 speed, great hands, and the ability to track the ball well in the air. He accelerates well and works back to the ball with ease. His favorite pattern is the curl pattern, and he does a great job of coming back for the ball.
If Golden has a weakness that could concern the Packers, it’s that he needs work on his blocking. That is something Matt LaFleur likes his receivers to be able to do. He may also need to improve his strength and physicality to battle for contested catches.
Golden can line up on the boundary or in the slot and he has experience returning kicks. In fact, he returned two kickoffs for a touchdown in 2023.
If he’s still on the board when the Packers pick, Golden would be a great addition to the offense, but the Packers would likely have to trade up to select him.
Wide Receivers the Packers Could Select in the Early Rounds of the 2025 NFL Draft, Number Five: Luther Burden, Missouri
Luther Burden would provide the Packers with a different set of skills than most of the other receivers on this list. He is not a burner, in fact, he was timed at 4.52 in the 40-yard dash. But he is outstanding after the catch with the ball in his hands. He and Tucker Kraft could give the Packers two pass catchers who excel in this area.
Burden is also a strong blocker for a wide receiver and that is something the Packers want as part of their receivers’ skill sets.
Burden doesn’t get deep very often and primarily plays out of the slot, but he reminds some scouts of Julien Edelman, which wouldn’t be a bad type of player to add to the offense. Most scouts expect him to go late in the first round which is right where the Packers are picking.
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