Dave Canales and Dan Morgan faced a predicament this offseason. The Carolina Panthers desperately needed to fix their porous defense. They also had to surround Bryce Young with more productive weapons in the passing game in Year 3 for the improving quarterback.
The Panthers went about this on two fronts. They used every major financial asset on defensive reinforcements in free agency. They also went against the grain by betting the house on wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan at No. 8 overall in the 2025 NFL Draft.
This raised a few eyebrows around the league. Most analysts thought the Panthers would go with a blue-chip edge rusher, but Morgan had other ideas. McMillan was arguably the best receiver in this class. He's also got the dynamism to become a legitimate No. 1 option that Carolina hasn't boasted since D.J. Moore was traded to the Chicago Bears.
Carolina Panthers are expecting Tetairoa McMillan to deliver immediately
McMillan is creative, athletic, and everything in between. He makes difficult catches look routine and plays with a natural swagger that's hard not to love. The former Arizona standout has lofty expectations to meet, but the Panthers have been suitably thrilled by what they've seen from the rookie so far.
Getting the chance to hone his craft against Jaycee Horn is only going to help McMillan's cause. He won't come up against many better cornerbacks when competitive action arrives, so training hard to make the games easy is the primary goal.
The Panthers need McMillan to take off from the moment he steps onto the field. The hit rate around the league with receivers taken in the top 10 is high, with many taking the NFL by storm immediately. If the Hawaii native can add his name to this illustrious list, Young has the scope to reach a completely different stratosphere.
McMillan knows what's expected. He's a confident kid with the world at his feet. At the same time, there could be some initial growing pains. Taking the rough with the smooth is crucial for fans, but it would be a huge disappointment if the Panthers' big investment didn't reap some immediate rewards.
Carolina's offense has the chance to be special in 2025. If McMillan reaches his billing and other young weapons also demonstrate the required improvements, this will be a fun group to watch next season and way into the future.
And it's been a long time since Panthers fans could say that with any confidence.