The Carolina Panthers' priority this offseason has been fixing a defense that was the worst unit league-wide last season. Additions such as Bobby Brown III, Tershawn Wharton, and Tre’Von Moehrig will go some way to improving Ejiro Evero’s unit, even if the focus has turned away from Brad Izik’s offense.
Outside of re-signing Austin Corbett, Brady Christensen, Cade Mays, Tommy Tremble, and David Moore — which all have varying levels of importance — the only offensive addition was running back Rico Dowdle on a one-year deal to back up Chuba Hubbard following Miles Sanders' expected release.
This means Carolina will enter year three of Bryce Young’s rookie contract with Adam Thielen once again as the team's WR1 as things stand. This is bordering on malpractice. With the draft around a month away, the Panthers must add to the wideout room. Tetairoa McMillan must be under serious consideration at No. 8.
McMillan is the consensus WR1 in this year's draft. While there isn’t a Marvin Harrison Jr. or Malik Nabers in this particular group, the Arizona prospect would come in and immediately enhance the options at Young's disposal.
Without further ado, let’s take a look at McMillan in this scouting report.
Tetairoa McMillan Scouting Report
- Height: 6-foot-4
- Weight: 219 pounds
- Recruitment: 5-star prospect (highest prospect in Arizona history)
Positives
- High levels of college production
- Elite contested catch-maker
- Size to succeed in the pros
- Long strides to win on deep routes
A native of Waimanalo, Hawaii, McMillan had an immediate impact at the University of Arizona. As a freshman, the former Polynesian High School Footballer of the Year had 39 receptions for 702 receiving yards and eight touchdowns, which led all true freshman receivers nationally.
McMillan had arguably his best season in 2023, with 90 receptions for 1,402 receiving yards (fifth most nationally) and 10 touchdowns over 13 games as he continued to develop his relationship with his former high school quarterback Noah Fifita. The Wildcats finished the campaign with a 9-3 record and reached the Alamo Bowl, where the wideout had 160 receiving yards on his way to Second-Team All-Pac 12 honors.
Despite suffering an injury before the 2024 season, McMillan still produced to a high level. He ended the year with 84 receptions for 1,319 receiving yards and eight scores, including a school-record 304 yards in Arizona's season opener against New Mexico.
McMillan was First-Team All-Big 12, a consensus All-American, and the Polynesian College Footballer of the Year. He was also a finalist for the Fred Biletnikoff Award, losing to Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter.
The prospect's clear strength comes in his contested catch ability. McMillan uses his excellent size to come down with some highlight-reel players. With Young regularly having to deal with his players dropping tough catches, adding someone who excels in this discipline would elevate Carolina's offense.
Many feel the player was not at 100 percent during the 2024 season. McMillan suffered a lower leg injury in the spring, which kept him out for part of the Wildcats' fall camp. While he played in every game, his 2023 production is a better indication of the type of talent he possesses.
With Carolina’s recent obsession with drafting wide receivers with limited collegiate production — Xavier Legette, Jonathon Mingo, and Terrace Marshall Jr. — this presents the perfect opportunity for Dan Morgan to buck that trend. For the past two seasons, McMillan has been one of the best wideouts in college and would immediately be WR1 if he ended up with the Panthers.
Weaknesses
- Lacks top-end speed to win vertically
- Struggles at times against press coverage
- At times struggles to separate from physical corners.
McMillan is a big-bodied wide receiver and a true outside option. While he shows a surprising burst for his size, he lacks that true elite speed we see from some at the next level.
At his recent Arizona pro day, McMiillan was initially clocked in at 4.48 seconds in the 40-yard dash, but many reporters in attendance clocked it more in the 4.55-second range. Not slow by any means, but not at that top-end speed level.
McMillan has the size to dominate smaller corners in contested catch situations, but he sometimes struggles when matched up against players who match his stature. This is something the player must improve at the next level.
Although McMillan has some limitations, all signs suggest he will be a high-floor, high-ceiling player in the NFL. He moved around the formation regularly at Arizona and teams could utilize his size in the pros to dominate in the slot.
Tetairoa McMillan NFL Player Comparison: Mike Evans
The easy comparison for McMillan based on his size is Mike Evans, and the similarities between the players are stark.
Coming out of Texas A&M ahead of the 2014 NFL Draft, analysts were lauding Evans' size and power, along with his contested catch ability. Many analysts also questioned his speed and separation ability at the next level.
Panthers fans know all too well just how dangerous Evans can be. The future Pro Football Hall of Famer has almost 1,700 receiving yards against Carolina in his career, including the infamous 207-yard performance in the de-facto NFC South matchup when Steve Wilks was at the helm.
Evans has been exceptional for the duration of his NFL career to date, reaching 1,000 receiving yards in each season he’s played since being drafted No. 7 overall. He’s also grown a huge reputation as a red-zone demon due to his size.
If the Panthers take McMillan at No. 8 — one pick later than Evans was selected — the similarities between the players would only continue. If he came into Carolina and had the same impact, general manager Dan Morgan would be smiling from ear to ear.