Panthers rookie Tetairoa McMillan had mixed preseason debut: PFF

Tetairoa McMillan was graded as the 73rd rookie out of 94 from the preseason opener. PFF gave him a highly disappointing 52.7 grade, which is bad no matter which way you slice it. For comparison, Nic Scourton earned a 91.8 grade.

"McMillan’s preseason debut started well, with his picking up two early first downs, including a terrific over-the-shoulder catch on a go route," the analysis began, but that's when it got particularly painful for the prospect PFF ranked fourth out of everyone before the draft.

"He dropped a potential touchdown on a well-thrown slant by Bryce Young. He also dropped an Andy Dalton pass in the second quarter," PFF argued. "The drops are an odd development for McMillan, who had only two games in his college career with multiple drops."

That's not a good omen for the regular season. However, the touchdown drop in particular is one that's not all that concerning. It happened because he couldn't get his head around quickly enough, and his late reaction was too little to reel in the pass as it caromed off his chest.

This happened because McMillan, who ran a pretty good route on the play, was not expecting Bryce Young's timing to be literally perfect. With more reps and experience, he will learn when to expect the ball and have a better chance on plays like that.

Still, two drops are not ideal for a rookie, although it's worth mentioning that countless star rookie wide receivers, including Ja'Marr Chase, have had that issue at the onset before putting it behind them. McMillan will likely do the same.