Tetairoa McMillan named Panthers' impact acquisition, but here's the real key pickup

The Carolina Panthers made a lot of changes to their roster this offseason, especially on the defensive side of the ball. They added two new starting defensive linemen in free agency, drafted two new edge rushers and added new faces at inside linebacker and safety. On offense the personnel is mostly the same, but there's one very big exception to that rule.

With the eighth overall pick in the draft Carolina made their second big investment at wide receiver in Round 1 in as many years, taking Arizona star Tetairoa McMillan instead of Jalon Walker as they were expected to.

According to an analysis by Pro Football Focus, McMillan was the one big impact offseason acquisition for the Panthers this year.

"Bryce Young’s improvement down the stretch last season came with a greater willingness to throw the ball vertically downfield and into tight windows. Carolina capitalized on that by adding wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan with the eighth overall pick in the draft. McMillan led the FBS with a 98.6 receiving grade on 10-plus yard targets over the past two seasons. He also made 35 contested catches since the start of 2023."

McMillan should double up on the one dynamic that the Panthers had going for them at the end of last season on offense - Young's remarkable deep ball. That helped make Adam Thielen the most impressive deep receiver in the league last year - and in theory it will also turn McMillan into a star at the next level.

While McMillan is an obvious choice as far as personnel goes - we think there's another element that will make an even bigger impact. Carolina's true offseason acquisition is something that's been missing for far too long: continuity.

At the top the Panthers are keeping the same head coach/general manager combination despite a five-win season, and they're sticking with the same quarterback after a rough start. Carolina also managed to retain all the important pieces on their roster, most notably their entire offensive line and their two studs at cornerback.

That familiarity will help enable the Panthers to start building something that they haven't been for seven years: a winning franchise. They're probably not going to make the playoffs, but if they can finish at 9-8 it will represent a huge step forward.