Green Bay Packers fans once dreamed of landing Justin Jefferson, and the team shared that vision before the Minnesota Vikings crushed it.
Draft crushes don't always lead to landing the player everyone wants, but it sure sounds like the Packers are in lockstep with their fans.
From the moment the Packers' season crashed down in an early playoff defeat to the Philadelphia Eagles, fans have pounded the table to get Jordan Love another wide receiver. That doesn't necessarily need to happen in the first round, but Green Bay could have options to win the hearts of the hometown crowd on Thursday night.
The Packers' interest in Arizona wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan is arguably their worst-kept secret.
Brian Gutekunst gave McMillan the VIP treatment at his private workout. He was reportedly the only general manager in attendance, and the team has since hosted McMillan for a pre-draft visit.
Whether Jordan Morgan's former teammate falls to No. 23 is another question, but if he does, one Packers insider has no doubt he would bring an end to the two-decade first-round receiver drought.
Packers insider believes they will select Tetairoa McMillan if he falls into their lap at No. 23
ESPN's Packers reporter Rob Demovsky appeared on the Wilde & Tausch show on ESPN Wisconsin, and he provided some interesting information about the team's interest in McMillan. Demovsky doesn't believe the Arizona star will fall to them but is convinced that if he does, he will become the team's first Day 1 pick at receiver since 2002.
"I do think that if he were to happen to be there at 23, the streak would end," said Demovsky. "I really believe that they would pick him from what I was told, but I just don't think that's realistic."
It might not be realistic, but it's also not impossible. Opinions on McMillan range wildly, with some believing he's a top-15 pick, while others see him falling much further.
McMillan has star WR1 potential — he catches everything thrown his way and can dominate on the outside. He is coming off a 1,319-yard, eight-touchdown season for Arizona and wouldn't need long to become a consistent, reliable target for Love.
Gutekunst seemed to play down the Packers' interest, a stark contrast from when he was asked about Cooper DeJean a year ago. Rewind to his previous pre-draft press conference, and Gutekunst had no problem praising DeJean, a prospect mocked regularly to the Packers. It raised fans' hopes, but Green Bay passed on the chance to draft him and seemed to have little interest.
When asked about McMillan, Gutekunst gave a quick, brief answer, leading some to believe his lack of praise hides his real interest. Of course, we're going to overreact and read too much into this.
So, the Packers are interested in McMillan, but what are they going to do about it? Demovsky believes he will be the pick if available at No. 23, but would Gutekunst consider a trade to get his target?
Only time will tell, but Green Bay even having interest in a possible first-round receiver is an important hurdle to clear. Gutekunst drafted McMillan's former teammate in the first round a year ago, and he would look awfully good in green and gold.