Falcons fans have plenty of reason to keep an eye on Tetairoa McMillan.
The NFC South is no longer defined by the old quarterback battles. These days, the danger comes from the pass-catchers, and Carolina may have the scariest young one in the division. While the Buccaneers have Mike Evans and now Emeka Egbuka, and the Saints have Jordyn Tyson and Chris Olave, the reigning NFC South champion Panthers are the team with the rising star that can make life hardest on Atlanta.
McMillan, known as T-Mac and not to be confused with NBA Hall of Famer Tracy McGrady, was taken eighth overall in the 2025 NFL Draft and wasted no time becoming Bryce Young’s go-to target. He finished his rookie year with 70 catches for 1,014 yards and seven touchdowns, production that earned him NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year honors.
Atlanta already got a taste of what he can do. In two games against the Falcons in 2025, McMillan hauled in 11 passes for 178 yards and two touchdowns. The biggest damage came in Week 11, when he lit up Atlanta’s secondary for eight receptions, 130 yards and two scores.
That’s the kind of outing that should have Falcons fans uneasy, because McMillan looks built to keep climbing. At 6-foot-5 and 212 pounds, he gives Young the kind of big target quarterbacks love: reliable hands, a wide catch radius and real value in the red zone. He also functioned as Carolina’s security blanket right away, which showed in the 26.3% target share he commanded as a rookie.
Even with inconsistent quarterback play, McMillan still posted 1.83 yards per route run and immediately validated the Panthers’ faith in him. And at 23, there’s still more room for his game to grow.
So while Terrell Island may offer some resistance, McMillan already showed what he can do against Atlanta. For Falcons fans, that’s the part that stings: the best may still be coming.
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The more interesting part for Atlanta is how thin the margin can be between premium value and just missing it. Barnwell pointed to Chris Lindstrom and Michael Penix as examples of players whose cases come with clear caveats, but the list also included Kyle Pitts, James Pearce and A.J. Terrell, leaving the Falcons with a few notable names hovering near that first-round line and a couple of unanswered questions about why they fell just short. [Read more 🡒]