Tetairoa McMillan, Carolina Panthers, Round 1, Pick 8
The Panthers drafted Tetairoa McMillan with the 8th pick of Round 1.
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Fantasy Football Impact
Tetairoa McMillan is a significant physical presence in the wide receiver position. At 6-5 and 218 pounds, he is Bryce Young's number one target on the outside. Over the past two seasons with the Wildcats, he has caught nearly 180 passes, making huge plays and dominating as the number one target.
McMillan's outlook in Carolina is simple: he will take over the outside role. He should immediately take over as the number one target for Bryce Young and be a great fantasy asset. He can work in all three ranges of the field and make some big plays downfield and in the red zone, which provides immense upside. After the rest of the draft plays out, I would not be shocked if I valued McMillan as one of the top fifteen receivers in the dynasty before he even took a step on the NFL field.
The Fantasy Football Fallout
This could be viewed as a negative for Jalen Coker, and some may say it will completely kill his stock. It could limit his upside, but there’s still fantasy relevance, as McMillan opens up many opportunities for Coker. McMillan is a demanding presence at receiver, and this will put much less pressure on the flashy athlete in Coker. So, while we have to throw some cold water on the Coker hype, we do not have to throw him away completely for fantasy purposes.
As much as I loved him as a sleeper, Ja'Tavion Sanders is a big loser from this pick. McMillan will push Sanders to be the third option on the offense as a receiver, but he will also steal a lot of red zone opportunities with his huge frame. At the tight end position, being the third option on your offense with limited touchdown upside is not a place you want to be.
Adding a big-time receiver to an offense always helps the quarterback position. Given his finish last year, paired with his brand new shiny toy in McMillan, Young could enter the top ten conversation for fantasy quarterbacks for 2025 and in dynasty. Tetairoa McMillan is a big, physical presence at the wide receiver position and a necessary number one target on the outside for Bryce Young. He has caught nearly 180 passes over the past two seasons with the Wildcats, making huge plays and dominating as the number one target.
Stock Watch
Risers
Fallers
Overview
This is likely the best spot that Tetairoa McMillan could have gotten. His abilities, combined with the lack of secure targets in Carolina’s offense, put him in an excellent place for fantasy football. Bryce Young will benefit from his presence, potentially entering the top tiers of fantasy quarterbacks. Looking at the other options, it pushes them all down for fantasy purposes. While Ja'Tavion Sanders and Xavier Legette are players to be extremely worried about, Jalen Coker could still have a role in the offense, so keep an eye on him for fantasy.
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