The Carolina Panthers have had good luck when it comes to the No. 8 overall pick in the NFL draft. In 2003 they landed the best left tackle in franchise history with Jordan Gross. In 2017 they got superstar running back Christian McCaffrey, who's still going strong eight years later.
Their most-recent eighth overall pick is wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan out of Arizona, and on his shoulders there's a set of high expectations that he could take Carolina's offense back into respectable territory, along with starting quarterback Bryce Young. The chemistry between these two will be critical in determining just how far this team goes in the coming years.
The good news is that Young and McMillan have a head start on establishing that connection. Here's what Young said has stood out to him about McMillan's games in their early sessions and at OTAs, per Joe Person at The Athletic.
Bryce Young on Tetairoa McMillan
"Among other things, Young was impressed with McMillan’s ability to high point the ball.. 'That’s something that definitely jumped out on film throughout all the draft stuff, versus air and even (during OTAs). You could definitely see that... Super smooth, has super natural hands. Great catch radius (and) super friendly to the quarterback, which is always nice.'”
There's a lot more to becoming a great pro receiver than high-pointing the ball, but it is an invaluable attribute to build on - especially given who's throwing to him. Last season Young made incredible strides compared to his rookie year and early struggles in 2024. The one thing he had going for him best of all was a beautifully accurate deep ball.
Unfortunatley, Adam Thielen was pretty much the only Panthers receiver that was able to take advantage of those perfectly-placed moonballs down the stretch last year. If McMillan can do the same, it will open up a lot more options for Dave Canales and his offense.
