RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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See the full story · 1 sourcesA lot of things have to go right for an NFL team to become a true contender. Hitting on their first-round draft picks is the most indispensable piece of the puzzle, though.
The Carolina Panthers may have done precisely that last year, when they grabbed University of Arizona wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan with the eighth overall pick of the 2025 draft. McMillan quickly assumed the role as the offense's top pass catcher—and eventually became the first Panther since Cam Newton (2011) to win the AP Offensive Rookie of the Year award.
As he heads into his second season in the league, McMillan has been named to NFL.com's all under-25 team. Around The NFL writer Nick Shook notes:
The 6-foot-4 McMillan quickly became a favorite target for Bryce Young, leading Carolina in receiving by more than 600 yards, catching seven touchdown passes and earning NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year honors. He immediately earned the respect of his counterparts, landing on the NFL Top 100 list (at No. 87) after his first season, and will continue to serve as the focus of Carolina’s passing game for years to come. At 23 years old, he has a chance to land on this list again next year, too.
There's still a lot of room for McMillan to grow, but he is the most promising wideout that the Panthers have brought in during the post-Steve Smith era. If he can clean up his catch rate and keep building chemistry with Young, he has legitimate All-Pro potential.
The rest of Carolina's receiver corps still need to catch up. Jalen Coker is slated to take over as the team's No. 2 option after signing a three-year extension this offseason, but calf injuries have limited him to 11 games in each of the last two seasons.
After Coker, the No. 3 spot will likely either go to 2024 first-rounder Xavier Legette or rookie Chris Brazzell II, who has many of the same attributes that have made McMillan an early success at this level.
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This article originally appeared on Panthers Wire: Panthers WR featured on NFL's all-under-25 team
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