The Carolina Panthers made a helluva statement on night one of the NFL Draft: They are fully and truly committed to Bryce Young. Arizona wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan seemed to be hand-picked by the young quarterback.
The Panthers used the No. 8 pick to go with McMillan, which was a surprise. Draft prognosticators expected them to address their many needs on defense. The pick undoubtedly has a lot to do with the QB — and not just in giving him a new weapon.
According to Ian Rapoport, Young and McMillan had been throwing together in Los Angeles before the draft. It goes beyond that, too.
With plenty of trade options, the #Panthers stick and pick: They select at No. 8 #Arizona star WR Tetairoa McMillan -- T-Mac.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) April 25, 2025
He's been quietly throwing with QB Bryce Young in LA. They two are already developing a connection.
McMillan himself explained how Young was a major advocate in the Panthers' building. He made it clear the team should pick the Arizona WR and they followed through.
Tetairoa McMillan says that Bryce Young went into Dan Morgan’s and Dave Canales’ offices and told them they need to pick him. pic.twitter.com/uEmE9OGhvy
— Carolina Blitz (@KeepBlitzin) April 25, 2025
According to McMillan, Young went into general manager Dan Morgan and head coach Dave Cannales' offices to show them tape of the WR. He told them, "We need to pick this guy."
Bryce Young and Tetairoa McMillan were already hard at work building their partnership
There's something to be said for a quarterback and a wide receiver having instant chemistry. Young and McMillan never played together though they both attended high school in Los Angeles, a couple of years apart. The former went to Mater Dei and the latter went to Servite. Young went on to Alabama while McMillan landed at Arizona.
McMillan was an All-American for the Wildcats. He stared with 702 yards as a freshman before breaking out with 1,402 yards and 10 touchdowns on 90 catches in 2023. His junior season was a step back for the Arizona offense as a whole. He still led the Big 12 with 1,319 yards.
At 6-foot-4, 219 pounds, he's a tough matchup for DBs. His relative lack of speed and difficulty creating separation in college created doubt about whether he'd be the top wide receiver picked in the draft though. The Panthers answered those doubts pretty thoroughly.