NFL Draft: Gamble on McMillan better work out, because Panthers needed defense
It sounds like Bryce Young badly wanted the Carolina Panthers to draft Arizona wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan.
Me? I’m not nearly so sure that was the right decision.
McMillan said in a video call with local media Thursday night that Young — a player he has known and admired since they attended rival high schools in California — had campaigned for him to be picked at No. 8 overall with both Panthers coach Dave Canales and general manager Dan Morgan.
“I give credit to Bryce for vouching for me,” McMillan said. Canales and Morgan were so happy for Young — who finally looked like a good NFL quarterback at the end of his second season and apparently wanted another weapon on offense — that they called the quarterback on speakerphone immediately after selecting McMillan at No. 8.
“He’s fired up,” Canales said of Young.
And maybe McMillan (6-4, 219 pounds) will turn out to be something like his favorite all-time player Larry Fitzgerald or one of his current NFL idols, Mike Evans. In that case, what I’m about to say will be dead wrong.
But I thought the Panthers should have gone with defense.
Specifically, I believed they should have taken Georgia outside linebacker Jalon Walker, who was available and has the speed and explosiveness that the worst defense in the NFL desperately needs. Remember, the Panthers gave up the most points last season that any NFL team has given up in any season! They were absolutely horrible on defense. And even though their free-agency moves have improved that somewhat, they need more help. A lot more.
Instead, the Atlanta Falcons went with Walker at No. 15, and he will be pursuing Carolina quarterbacks for years. The Panthers went with a wide receiver in the first round, exactly like they did a year ago in the first round when they selected Xavier Legette.
Legette, who starred at South Carolina and was picked No. 32 overall in 2024, had a middling rookie season at best. His most notable play was a key drop in the end zone against Philadelphia of a potential game-winning touchdown pass.
Now will Legette be as happy about the McMillan pick as Young is? Undoubtedly not.
McMillan will be another threat for the No. 1 receiving job that has been held down the last two years by veteran Adam Thielen, who might only play for one more year and is also 34 years old. And this also isn’t great for Jalen Coker, who had a surprisingly good season in 2024 as an undrafted rookie and now may get pushed down in the wide receiver rotation.
Still, there’s some upside. Will McMillan help the Panthers become a more exciting team? He will. He had a monstrous season last year for Arizona, with 84 catches for 1,319 yards and eight touchdowns. He was a first-team All-American. He’s not the high-end speed receiver the Panthers still need — where have you gone, Ted Ginn Jr.? — but he does high-point a football very well and should help in the red zone.
The question is whether McMillan will help Carolina become a better team in the same way picking a defensive stud would have. It’s better to lose 31-28 than 9-6 in the NFL — anyone who sells tickets knows that — but you’re still losing.
McMillan — who would prefer that you call him “T-Mac” or “Nalo,” but never “Tet” — will need to impact the bottom line. The Panthers haven’t made the playoffs since 2017 and were 5-12 a year ago, but this is a season they realistically do have an opportunity to do something. Young is still on his rookie contract, the offensive line is relatively solid and the defense… oh yeah, the defense. That’s why I wanted the Panthers to pick Walker.
It is obvious that McMillan has some dynamic energy. It’s also obvious the Panthers will try to hit some defensive home runs with their picks on the final two days of the draft. So they’ll get a new safety, and a new defensive lineman, and a couple of other items on the shopping list.
But McMillan? Carolina really needs him to work out. This was a pick that went against the grain. And whether it works out is going to depend so much on the Young-McMillan connection.
“I feel like this is the year Bryce will explode,” McMillan said.
And wouldn’t that be nice — if the Panthers exploded for once, instead of imploded.
This story was originally published April 25, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
