The Carolina Panthers cannot force it at WR1 for 2025 NFL season

The Carolina Panthers would like to see Tetairoa McMillan become the WR1 they've really needed since trading DJ Moore away. That's why they selected him in the first round despite glaring needs on defense. It's why they ignored a couple of trade-up offers that would've replenished their stock of draft capital.

But they can't force that on him. The Panthers arguably tried and failed to do that with Xavier Legette last year. The hope was the same, that after trading up into round one to get Legette, he'd be their top wide receiver. He wasn't.

Based on performance while on the field, Adam Thielen was the best wide receiver last year. Jalen Coker arguably outplayed Legette, too. The Panthers will certainly want McMillan to avoid the same fate, but they have to let things play out as they do.

If Thielen, who is undoubtedly one year from retirement at this point, continues to be the best and most reliable wide receiver, then Carolina has to let him continue to operate as such. There's no sense force-feeding someone else when he's the guy.

Even though that would leave the Panthers once again without a WR1 going into 2026, they wouldn't be in a bad spot. Coker, McMillan, and Legette would all be WR2s of sorts, which is not a bad way to set things up. The Green Bay Packers have done well for seasons with no clear WR1. Plenty of teams have multiple WR2s on their roster and have fine offenses.

Bryce Young showed at the end of last year that he doesn't need a Justin Jefferson or Mike Evans-type player to succeed, so Carolina can afford to let things go how they go organically. If Thielen is the guy, let him be the guy. If McMillan is WR3, then let him be that.

That might not provide a good return on the investment, but team-building is not always about getting the most value out of something but just about constructing a winning roster no matter what. Sure, that might mean passing on Jalon Walker was a mistake, but if the team gets better, what does it really matter?

If Coker ascends to that role, that's fine. It doesn't matter that he's a former UDFA and both McMillan and Legette are first-round picks. What matters is getting every player in a position to succeed, and the Panthers have to let that happen naturally.

Whatever works best with Bryce Young should be the goal, not justifying anyone's draft slot or forcing the young players into heightened roles just because they're under contract for longer than Thielen or others.