Oct 26, 2024; Tucson, Arizona, USA; Arizona Wildcats wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan (4) attempts to catch the ball during the third quarter against the West Virginia Mountaineers at Arizona Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Aryanna Frank-Imagn Images Aryanna Frank-Imagn Images

Adam Thielen on the 'phenomenal' ability Tetairoa McMillan offers Panthers offense

Originally posted on Carolina Panthers on SI
By Zach Roberts | Last updated May 9, 2025 8:30 AM ET

Perhaps no one will benefit more from the selection of Tetairoa McMillan than Adam Thielen. The Carolina Panthers wide receiver looked, at times, totally gassed. He was the de facto WR1, and he is not quite physically capable of that workload anymore. McMillan, should all go to plan, will take that role from him. If nothing else, he'll take some of the pressure and defensive coverage away.

That's not all, though. McMillan has been tabbed as the ideal addition to the offense. The WR corps they had was lacking someone like McMillan, a big-bodied contested-catch artist. Thielen thinks one part of his game will particularly aid Bryce Young and the rest of the offense.

"He's a big, long receiver that has phenomenal body control and can make contested catches and can play a lot of different spots, which in this league, to be a great receiver, you have to be able to [do]," Thielen said via ESPN. Thielen said he hasn't seen much, but he's seen enough to know he's "that guy," adding, "And that only benefits everyone else. It just creates an opportunity for guys to play multiple positions and make it tough on the defense."

Thielen also noted that McMillan brings something else just by being there. The wide receiver room, and, Thielen guesses, the team at large, hasn't had too much competition in general. Adding a wide receiver selected so early should spur the rest of the players to new heights, and that only benefits everyone. Iron sharpens iron.

"You might have good players, but you've got to have competition. You've got to have multiple guys that are behind you that are like, 'All right, I better step up my game,'" Thielen said. In the projected depth chart, McMillan is the WR1, or the X receiver, which allows Thielen to move to his more natural slot position. Xavier Legette was WR2, and the backups included Jalen Coker, David Moore, Jimmy Horn Jr., and Hunter Renfrow.

This article first appeared on Carolina Panthers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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