Buckle up, folks! The 2025 NFL Draft is practically knocking on our door, and things are definitely heating up as always. The buzz right now is that the New England Patriots are laser-focused on adding a big pass catcher early in this year’s draft. Right now, Mike Vrabel and co. have their eyes on Arizona. They must be going through the archives of the Wildcats’ old tapes and have found a gem. That’s their 3423-yard wide receiver star. The same player who has been the consensus WR2 in the 2025 NFL Draft behind only Colorado’s dual-threat, Travis Hunter. While Vrabel is pursuing Arizona, he has already come up with a steal: a $69 million Stefon Diggs deal.

The player who enjoys a tug-of-war kind of situation is none other than Tetairoa McMillan. Arguably the top receiver in this year’s draft. Well, to be in this position, McMillan had to put his blood, sweat, and tears over his three-year stint at Arizona. There is no doubt in the fact that the wide receiver has been ultra-productive with the Wildcats. In his first year, he had racked up 702 yards and 8 touchdowns. Ever since then, there has been no turning back for McMillan. During the other two seasons, he delivered 1402 yards and 1319 yards, respectively.  However, this might have come off as a surprise to him now that the NFL suitors are swarming around him. 

On April 12, Patriots on CLNS Media tweeted, “Patriots are planning to host  Arizona WR Tetairoa McMillan on a Top 30 visit, according to @AaronWilson_NFL.” To better understand the player, Patriots beat reporter Taylor Kyles dove into McMillain’s game film, uncovering insights that will likely make Vrabel even more eager to sign him. As the analyst highlighted, “One of the things that makes McMillan so dangerous after the catch, on top of being physically imposing and being able to somehow juke defenders at his size, is the ability to also find and exploit space that was on full display on this long third and 10 touchdown against New Mexico with Arizona down seven points just before halftime.” Given prior questions about his speed and separation skills, McMillan opted not to test at this year’s combine. But so what? 

While his pro day times varied from low to mid 4.5s, that speed, combined with his size, was undoubtedly sufficient for a first-round receiver, fueling the McMillan buzz. The Dallas Cowboys even see him as ‘Dez Bryant 2.0,’ noting the similar plus-size frame—Bryant at 6-2, 220 pounds, and McMillan at 6-4, 219. Their playing styles also show striking parallels; neither relies on blistering speed, but both possess exceptional instincts for high-pointing the ball over defensive backs, making tough catches appear easy. Meanwhile, the New Orleans Saints are also vying for him. But out of all these suitors, Vrabel is already riding high with motivation.   

Mike Vrabel’s bold bet for Stefon Diggs

Remember last year’s NFL offseason drama? One of the biggest stories was Diggs getting traded to the Houston Texans. Fast forward to this year, and he hit free agency. But hey, lucky Diggs! He’s landed on his feet, agreeing to a three-year deal with Vrabel’s New England, reportedly worth up to $69 million with $26 million guaranteed. Now, considering he tore his ACL in Week 8 last season, the buzz around him was understandably a bit quieter.

Plus, with his age—Diggs turns 32 in November—and some struggles in Houston and Buffalo last season, there were definitely doubts floating around. But Vrabel, he just went for it. Turns out, the head coach did his homework and feels pretty confident Diggs can be the spark the Patriots’ offense needs. Even with that torn ACL, the WR still hauled in 47 receptions, which was seventh-best in the pro league.

Looking at the numbers, Diggs lined up in the slot a good chunk of the time in 2024—43%, a noticeable jump from the 27% he did with the Bills. Meanwhile, Vrabel’s New England team ranked way down at 29th in slot receiving yards per game (just 62.6) and 28th in completion percentage when targeting the slot (64.7%). So, you put a talent like Stefon Diggs in that slot, and those numbers are bound to jump. Confidence-wise? Diggs himself said, “I can move the chains,” making it clear he can get the job done whether it’s a short, medium, or deep route.

The Patriots’ receiving crew hasn’t been great, and it’s been a minute since they had a 1,000-yard guy—way back with Julian Edelman in 2019. So will they go for the college football talent who put up 3,423 yards? Adding Diggs doesn’t really change whether the Patriots might grab the former Arizona receiver; having two different kinds of playmakers out wide has got to be exciting for them at this point.