Could Cowboys select fast-rising prospect over Tetairoa McMillan in NFL Draft?

   

The Dallas Cowboys are a little over two weeks away from the NFL Draft and still have more than a few areas on their roster that need to be addressed.

 Texas wideout Matthew Golden during the 2025 NFL Combine

There is one need that the majority of NFL analysts and Cowboys fans can agree on: the Cowboys need to find a star wide receiver to pair with CeeDee Lamb.

In recent mock drafts involving the Cowboys selecting a wide receiver in the first round, NFL analysts have often projected Tetairoa McMillan, with Matthew Golden and Luther Burden III being alternatives if McMillan is already off the board.

Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer recently gave a list of his NFL takeaways and surpisingly mentioned that he "wouldn't be surprised if Texas’s Matthew Golden is the first (non-Hunter) receiver to go".

"I hate saying anyone is 'rising' or 'falling' on 'draft boards' because it doesn’t work that way. That said, when I sketched out a mock draft for myself this week, I had Arizona WR Tetairoa McMillan going in the 20s. I’d say, again, that I wouldn’t be surprised if Texas’s Matthew Golden is the first (non-Hunter) receiver to go, and McMillan is there when the playoff teams are picking," said Breer.

Could the Cowboys draft Golden over McMillan if both are still available?

Judging by their statistics in college, it would be a no-brainer to draft McMillan; however, Golden generated buzz when he ran the fastest 40-time (4.29) among wide receivers at the NFL Combine, after already boosting his draft stock in the College Football Playoffs.

It may raise some eyebrows if the Cowboys selected Golden over McMillan, but at the same time, the majority of fans would be thrilled to see that the front office is actually serious about putting more weapons around Dak Prescott.