Insider: Bryce Young's history with Tet McMillan might 'create fond memories' for Panthers

Though Bryce Young is a year older and has two years of NFL experience on Tetairoa McMillan, they have a history together. The Carolina Panthers duo can be traced back to high school in California. In Young's senior season, his Mater Dei team demolished McMillan's Servite 56-11. They've known each other for years.

That, as well as some pre-draft workouts together, led Young to advocate for McMillan. The front office indicated that the Arizona wide receiver was their pick from the outset, but it certainly didn't help that their franchise QB was asking for this player.

Now, one NFL insider believes that history and rapport will lead to great things for the Panthers. USA Today's Tyler Dragon praised the growth of Young last season and anticipates that McMillan's arrival will coincide with another big step forward.

"The genesis of Young’s rising confidence can be traced back to the end of last season when he helped Carolina win two of its final three games," he said. "This growth was underscored when he lobbied for the Panthers to draft a playmaker who he’s familiar with. Now, maybe Young and McMillan can create fond memories together as teammates."

It's rare for a rookie wide receiver and an NFL quarterback who did not go to the same school either in high school or college to have such a history and potentially chemistry from the outset. Time will tell if that helps them on the field, but it does give them a leg up.

Young struggled to find that chemistry with first-round wideout Xavier Legette last season, so perhaps the innate familiarity with McMillan will prevent those rookie bumps in the road from happening this year.