With some high and some middling grades, the value of instant grades has been proven once again
Instant draft grades are a low-rate, traffic driven business that nobody likes, nobody is right about, and everybody looks for in the moments after a pick is made. Ain’t that the NFL in a nutshell? For all that various outlets’ big boards usually line up pretty closely in the days ahead of the draft, grades tend to vary widely depending on how closely the actual draft adhered to an analysts’ mock. Tetairoa McMillan is proving all of that to be true as draft grades from major outlets are all over the place on his selection by the Carolina Panthers as the 8th overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Here’s a quick rundown of the marks he was given in the last twelve hours:
Chad Rueter, NFL.com, Draft Grade: C
It was surprising to see McMillan come off the board in the top 10. Carolina could have selected tight end Colston Loveland or Tyler Warren as the big target for Young. They also could have taken edge/linebacker Jalon Walker and met their receiver need later in the draft.
Pete Prisco, CBS Sports, Draft Grade: C
I don’t love this pick. I know they need to get help for Bryce Young, but I thought Matthew Golden was a better option. They also have defensive needs. McMillan doesn’t run that well, which is always a concern.
Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz, USA Today, Draft Grade: C
Most importantly, even in a deep class at edge rusher, Carolina will be hard-pressed to find the premier defensive difference-maker it could have had here with someone like Jalon Walker.
Danny Kelly, The Ringer, Draft Grade: A
This is a great pick for the Panthers, who add a big-bodied pass catcher to a receiving corps that still needs a go-to guy. McMillan has a huge catch radius, attacks the football, and brings some run-after-the-catch talent to the Carolina offense. I understand the concerns around the team’s god-awful defense, but nothing is more important to this team, in both the short and long term, than developing quarterback Bryce Young.
JP Acosta, SB Nation, Draft Grade: A-
McMillan is the big receiver they need, but he can win in the intermediate area to keep that offense efficient. Dave Canales should love him. Don’t hate how high he went here, considering WR Drake London went eighth in 2022 and they’re similar players.
PFF.com, Draft Grade: Very Good (Seems to be the equivalent of a B/A-)
McMillan was one of the more productive receivers in college football over the past two seasons, ranking in the 85th percentile or better among qualifying NCAA wideouts in receiving grade versus single coverage, yards per route run and contested-catch rate.
This really all boils down to whether or not the evaluator liked McMillan as a prospect or simply wanted the Jalon Walker rumors to be true. These are instant grades, so of course they aren’t going to go in depth on team fit.
Walker ended up going 15th overall to the Atlanta Falcons, whereas rumor had it the Los Angeles Rams were trying to trade ahead of the Panthers in the first round to snag McMillan before we got a chance. Value in the draft is only ever what the team selecting at the time thinks it is.
As Panthers fans, let’s take heart in the fact that there are numerous independent talent evaluators out there who are head-over-heels for what McMillan can bring to the table. We’ve been asking for a long time for the Panthers to actually invest in a franchise quarterback and here they are doing it. Like I said last night, that’s reason enough for me to give them top marks for this pick.