Tetairoa McMillan was an eyebrow-raising pick for the Carolina Panthers at No. 8 overall in the 2025 NFL Draft. One analyst went one step further, proclaiming the move as a monumental gamble that might not pay off.
The Panthers felt they added enough to their historically bad defense in free agency to draft McMillan. He's a unique wide receiver with a flair for the extravagant. Those in power believe his outstanding playmaking ability and dependable hands in contested catch situations can make a huge difference.
They better be right. Otherwise, the repercussions will be severe.
Carolina Panthers' drafting Tetairoa McMillan could backfire says NFL analyst
It's a leap of faith. The Panthers are placing a lot of trust in McMillan. This choice also represents a supreme vote of confidence in quarterback Bryce Young, who made encouraging strides over the second half of 2024 and now has a potential No. 1 receiver to depend upon long-term if everything goes well.
Douglas Fritz from Clutch Points had doubts, naming the Panthers' drafting McMillan as their riskiest move of the offseason. The analyst thought Carolina's faith in the wideout and Young could backfire. That would be nothing short of catastrophic for Dan Morgan's ambitious growth plans.
"Part of the risk comes not just from [Tetairoa] McMillan. It’s also a risk to make a first-round pick of a wide receiver when the quarterback situation is shaky. The Panthers have hitched their wagon to former No. 1 pick Bryce Young. That could be good. But it could also backfire. And there are no guarantees that McMillan will thrive. Some draft analysts criticized his work ethic. Others didn’t like his overall skillset. That’s not the type of reviews the No. 8 overall pick usually gets."
Douglas Fritz
No draft pick is a sure thing. NFL history is littered with supposedly generational prospects coming out of college who never come close to reaching this billing in the pros. Almost always, the fit is just as important as the talent. And this is a tremendous environment for McMillan to learn.
That wasn't always the case under previous regimes. However, head coach Dave Canales acquired a developmental staff and instilled the correct culture. It doesn't guarantee success, but it's a good foundation to build upon.
McMillan and Young's respective successes will be closely connected. No wide receiver can excel without an accurate presence under center. No quarterback can thrive without a pass-catcher capable of creating separation and bringing in tough catches. The two are intertwined, for good and bad, as long as they're both in Carolina.
Hopefully, that'll be for the next decade or more.
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