Tetairoa McMillan of the Panthers is among the top candidates for NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year.

The Panthers have a true Rookie of the Year candidate for once.

It's been since Cam Newton in 2011 that the Carolina Panthers have had an Offensive Rookie of the Year. They just haven't hit on that level on that side of the ball since then, though they have had some pretty solid players. This year, that might change.

The Panthers shocked the world by picking Tetairoa McMillan eighth overall instead of a defensive player. He could, however, break the Panthers' ROY drought and be one of the best rookies in the entire sport, at least according to one NFL insider.

Tetairoa McMillan could win Offensive Rookie of the Year

Tetairoa McMillan was the third non-lineman offensive player taken off the board in the NFL draft (excluding Travis Hunter since he was listed as a cornerback and will play offense and defense). That means McMillan has competition for Rookie of the Year, especially because he's now in a very deep WR room.

Adam Thielen and Xavier Legette are "in the mix," according to Bleacher Report's Matt Holder, but they're both poised to slide behind McMillan. Thielen is 35 and had a major injury, and Legette was plagued by drops in 2024.

"In other words, there's still a strong chance the No. 8 overall pick can become Bryce Young's top target early on this fall," Holder said. Young has developed really well and could easily be dependable enough for McMillan to get Rookie of the Year-level stats.

"This will also be the 24-year-old's second season in Dave Canales' offense to help further his development, which in turn improves McMillan's odds of having a productive rookie campaign," Holder said, adding that Canales has had success with big-bodied WRs (Mike Evans) before.

All the ingredients for a good year are there, but McMillan does have two really stout competitors. QBs like Cam Ward will always get a leg up no matter how much better a WR is (just ask Puka Nacua). Ashton Jeanty is likely to be the every-down back in Las Vegas, so he'll undoubtedly have great numbers, too.