Sep 21, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Panthers wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan (4) runs onto the field before Atlanta Falcons game at Bank of America Stadium. Cory Knowlton-Imagn Images

Carolina Panthers have 2 of NFL's top 15 rookies, and one is a pleasant surprise

Originally posted on Carolina Panthers on SI
By Nikki Chavanelle | Last updated Sep 30, 2025 6:00 PM ET

The Carolina Panthers are essentially a quarter of the way through the 2025 NFL season and the team's first four games have been telling. Already at 1-3, it's highly unlikely that there's a post-season run in the Panthers' immediate future, but the potential exhibited from the rookies shows promise at least for the distant future.

Pro Football Focus has graded every player, and therefore every rookie, so far this season and the latest numbers have two Panthers ranking inside the top 15 through Week 4.

No. 11 TE Mitchell Evans

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Thanks to his most recent contributions to the Panthers offense, rookie Mitchell Evans ranks 11th among PFF's Top 15 rookies. Though he played sparingly in the first three weeks, Evans had his first multi-catch game on Sunday against the New England Patriots.

His grade of 76.5 incorporates his 72.0 pass-blocking grade and 76.0 receiving grade. Evans now has five catches on six targets for 41 yards and a touchdown. He scored the touchdown in Week 4, recording the team's second TE touchdown of the game. Though he ranks far behind his peers in total snaps at 72 through four games, Evans has the third-best overall grade amongst all tight ends at the moment.

No. 14 WR Tetairoa McMillan

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The Carolina Panthers are relying on Tetairoa McMillan as heavily as any team is relying on their rookie first-rounder this year. Though he's missed some opportunities to boost his catch numbers, and therefore his PFF grades, the former Arizona standout ranks No. 14 amongst rookies through Week 4 and was 15th amongst all wide receivers last week.

The biggest reason why McMillan grades so well is because so many of his receptions have given the Panthers a first down. He has 18 catches for 278 yards and a whopping 15 first downs on the season. In the NFL as a whole, he’s tied for first in catches of 20-plus yards (six) with Puka Nacua and Jaxon Smith-Njigba.

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

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