Seattle Seahawks Make Surprising Early Pick in Matt Miller Mock Draft

The 2025 NFL Draft is still 10 months away, and the mock drafts that will be released in July aren’t expected to be perfect. Still, they provide an interesting model of what could happen in the future. For the Seattle Seahawks, such predictions offer an interesting insight.

ESPN’s Matt Miller released a mock draft ahead of training camp to give us a glimpse of what could happen in April. For the Seahawks, it’s an intriguing pick as they selected Arizona receiver Tetairoa McMillan.

Seattle has one of the best receiving corps in the NFL, but it’s also a unit that’s ready to break up. Tyler Lockett — who’s entering his age-32 season — and DK Metcalf both have potential contracts after this upcoming season. Yes, second-year receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba will be a factor in the Seahawks’ plans going forward, but adding a true No. 1 receiver with size is a sneaky need. McMillan is massive at 6-foot-5, 210 pounds, and his receiving range seems limitless. He caught 90 passes for 1,402 yards and 10 touchdowns last season and is primed for another big year with the return of quarterback Noah Fifita.

– ESPN’s Matt Miller

This is an interesting and somewhat confusing pick. First, Miller had the Seahawks at No. 11 overall, which is based on ESPN’s FPI rankings. The Seahawks are likely to pick later than No. 11 once April rolls around.

Second, the idea of moving from DK Metcalf to Tyler Lockett is also a fascinating story in and of itself. Lockett is a potential candidate to retire after the season, as his initial goal was to retire at age 30. The Seahawks could save $17 million on the 2025 salary cap by moving on from Lockett with $13.89 million in dead cap space while Metcalf would save just over $22 million with $7.5 million in dead cap space.

Moving to one of them could make financial sense, as the Seahawks are currently projected to be over the salary cap in 2025. Now, extensions can get that money out relatively easily, but it’s worth noting.

McMillan should be one of the most intriguing wide receiver prospects in the 2025 class. Entering his third year at Arizona, McMillan is a massive prospect at 6’4” and 200 pounds. He’s also not your typical big receiver. McMillan moves like a much smaller receiver, making it look effortless when he attacks the ball in the air. The fluidity he displays is incredibly rare for a player his size, and his athleticism is borderline elite. Imagine a bigger DeAndre Hopkins with improved speed.

Could this make sense for the Seahawks? Having three high-level weapons on the outside would pose a tough challenge for defenses every week, but of course, a meaningful departure would likely require pre-drafting McMillan next spring with other major needs to be addressed.