Aaron Rodgers isn't even on the team yet (and there's no guarantee that he will be), but the Pittsburgh Steelers have a chance to do something for Rodgers that the Green Bay Packers never did: draft a wide receiver in the first round during his tenure. Despite the lack of a first-round weapon during his time with the Packers, Rodgers quickly strung together a Hall of Fame resume.
But Rodgers didn't exactly come out of the gate swinging.
The 2005 first-round pick spent three seasons on the bench behind Brett Favre. In Year 4, his first as a starter, Rodgers threw 28 touchdown passes and 13 interceptions. Over his first six NFL seasons, Rodgers never exceeded 30 touchdown passes.
Then Jordy Nelson exploded onto the scene. The 2008 second-round pick of the Packers finally emerged into a starting role in 2011 and went off for a breakout season that included 1,263 receiving yards and 15 touchdowns on 18.6 yards per reception and 13.2 yards per target. It was all uphill from there.
Though Nelson dealt with injuries in 2012 and 2015, his chemistry with Rodgers was miraculous when on the field. In 2013 and 2014, Nelson combined for 183 receptions, 2,833 receiving yards, and 21 touchdowns. Then, after a season-ending injury in 2015, Nelson exploded for 97 receptions, 1,257 yards, and 14 touchdowns in 2016.
Thanks to a fantastic blend of size, toughness, route-running ability, fluidity, and sideline ability, Nelson was Rodgers' top option in the passing game for the best stretch of his career with the Packers.
If the Pittsburgh Steelers sign Rodgers late in his career, they could pair him with a Jordy Nelson clone in the 2025 NFL Draft.
The Pittsburgh Steelers could pursue WR Tetairoa McMillan in the 2025 NFL Draft to appease Aaron Rodgers
You probably haven't thought about Jordy Nelson in years, but once you watch Tetairoa McMillan, it's impossible to unsee the similarities. McMillan, a standout wide receiver at Arizona, routinely wins with his natural football ability and soft hands at the catch point.
Like Nelson with the Packers in the 2010s, McMillan has remarkable fluidity for a big wide receiver and can run a full route tree. Both players also share incredibly similar size metrics, as Nelson stood at 6'3'' and 217 pounds with 10'' hands, while McMillan is 6'4'' and 219 pounds with 10'' hands.
Even their timed speed is nearly identical. At the 2008 NFL Combine, Nelson ran a 4.51 40-yard dash. Meanwhile, McMillan posted a 4.53 40-yard dash at his Arizona Pro Day this offseason.
So where do the Pittsburgh Steelers come in?
For most of the 2025 pre-draft process, landing a talent like Tetairoa McMillan was nothing more than a pipe dream. The talented wideout was expected to be long gone before the Steelers were on the clock. Recently, however, prominent draft expert Daniel Jeremiah of NFL Network joined Kay Adams on the Up & Adams show, where he expressed that teams have mixed reviews on McMillan. Jeremiah even mentioned Pittsburgh as a possible landing spot.
While it still feels unlikely that McMillan will slip to pick 21 in the NFL Draft, stranger things have happened. And if Aaron Rodgers signs with the Steelers, this is the exact type of receiver he would be looking for to help Pittsburgh make a championship push.
After Nelson, Davante Adams (6'1'', 212 pounds) emerged as Rodgers' new favorite weapon for the second half of his career. Rodgers also has an infatuation with Allen Lazard, who stands at 6'4 5/8'' and 227 pounds. While Rodgers seems to value size at the position, it's clear that speedy receivers have never been necessary for a four-time MVP quarterback, as none of Nelson, Adams, or Lazard possessed sub-4.5 speed.
Logically, the thought process of adding a receiver like McMillan makes sense. If Rodgers ultimately signs with the Steelers, why not pair him with a well-rounded go-to option that would maximize the upside of the offense? A move of this magnitude could come with a George Pickens trade, as the headache-inducing receiver is set to play on the final year of his rookie contract before hitting free agency.
As far as what would have to happen for McMillan to slide this far in the NFL Draft, the answer isn't as difficult as you'd think.
There are whispers that some of the teams looking for wide receiver help in the top half of the first round, like Texas's Matthew Golden and Ohio State's Emeka Egbuka much more than the consensus board would suggest. They could choose to go in this direction over McMillan in Round 1.
It's also worth noting that McMillan came under fire recently after a video from two years ago resurfaced, where McMillan was caught on camera admitting that he doesn't like to watch film and that he never needs to watch it by himself.
The Pittsburgh Steelers could turn a blind eye to these comments if it meant landing a top offensive weapon for Aaron Rodgers. Tetairoa McMillan is a Jordy Nelson clone who would instantly vault the floor and ceiling of Pittsburgh's offense.
