The Panthers have a new weapon in the form of Arizona receiver Tet McMillan, taken with the eighth overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
The Carolina Panthers have a new weapon: they’ve selected wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan out of Arizona with the eighth overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. Everything you need to know about him is right here below.
Stats & Accolades
- 2022: Played in 12 games with eight starts. (39 receptions, 702 receiving yards, eight touchdowns)
- 2023: Started 13 games. Third-Team Associated Press All-American. Second-Team All-Pac-12. (90 receptions, 1,402 receiving yards, 10 touchdowns)
- 2024: Started 12 games. First-Team Associated Press All-American. First-Team All-Big 12. Set a school record with 3,423 receiving yards. (84 receptions, 1,319 receiving yards, eight touchdowns)
What the Panthers are getting:
Tetairoa McMillan is a physical outside receiver with an elite combination of size, physicality, and body control that helps him win downfield with an above-the-rim style of play. His strong, 10-inch hands pluck the ball effortlessly out of the air, regardless if there’s a defender hanging on him or not. While he doesn’t possess elite speed, his long strides and smooth footwork will catch defensive backs off guard as he eats up yards, especially when he’s able to catch in stride on crossers. McMillan was uber-productive his entire career at Arizona and will look to be a quarterback’s new best friend at the next level.
Strengths
- Active, strong hands to keep clean through press coverage
- Smooth, long strider who picks up easy YAC when he catches in open space
- Elite body control to maximize winning position in contested catches
- Very friendly to his quarterback in scramble drill situations
- Transitions smoothly enough on 90-degree cuts
- Masterful sideline worker
Weaknesses
- Lack of suddenness at the top of stems drives up number of contested catches
- Needs to work on horizontal release packages
- Underwhelming acceleration through initial stem minimizes early threat to defensive backs
Athletic Testing
- Height: 6’4
- Weight: 215 pounds
- 40-yard dash: 4.48 seconds
- 10-yard split: N/A
- Vertical jump: N/A
- Broad jump: N/A
- Short shuttle: N/A
- 3-cone drill: N/A