Tetairoa McMillan’s rookie season was good enough to put him on the league’s radar, and now he’s landing on another list as one of the NFL’s better young wideouts.
Bleacher Report ranked the Panthers receiver 27th among NFL wide receivers, placing him one spot ahead of Khalil Shakir of the Buffalo Bills and one spot behind Alec Pierce of the Indianapolis Colts. The outlet praised the way McMillan’s game translated right away after Carolina made him the eighth pick in the draft.
“The Carolina Panthers selected Tetairoa McMillan with the eighth pick in the draft, and he proved their decision to be correct," Bleacher Report wrote. "He caught 70 passes for 1,014 yards and seven touchdowns. His route-running carried over from college, as he was successful at separating against man and zone coverage.
"McMillan consistently creates space with his route IQ and stems to manipulate defenders. The drops were frustrating.
Passes ricocheted off his hands, which created potential turnovers. McMillan had a good start to a career, but plenty of room to improve with a top-10 ceiling."
That ceiling looks even more real after what McMillan did in 2025. He won Offensive Rookie of the Year and led all rookies in receiving yards with 1,014, receiving yards per game at 59.6 and touchdown catches with seven. He also ranked third among rookies with 70 receptions and set the Panthers’ franchise record for most receiving yards by a rookie.
McMillan’s production showed up when the spotlight got brightest, too. In Carolina’s wild-card loss to the Los Angeles Rams, he posted five catches for 81 yards on national TV.
The Panthers reached the playoffs for the first time since the 2017 season, and the connection between Bryce Young and McMillan was one of the biggest reasons the team looked so dangerous. Even in defeat, the two gave the league a preview of what that pairing can look like.
“Coming into the season and just coming into the league, I was pretty confident in my abilities and what I could do," McMillan said. "None of that was a surprise to me. I always try to strive to be the best possible player that I can be and I knew that stuff like Rookie of the Year and all that wasn't too far and I knew that I was capable of achieving those things."
McMillan finished last season at 205 pounds, and despite the big numbers, he said he felt “weak” at times. That pushed him to spend the offseason focusing on his diet and the weight room.
“Just getting my strength and my power back," McMillan said. "I wasn't used to playing that small.
I felt pretty weak. I didn't have my power back, so that was pretty much the main focus this offseason for me.”
Carolina is no longer sneaking up on anybody after making the postseason in 2025, and McMillan’s growth will be a major part of what comes next in 2026.
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