Panthers rookie WR already making waves, but not the one you think

The Carolina Panthers selected wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan with the eighth overall pick of the NFL draft last month, providing Bryce Young with a towering weapon heading into 2025.

But the Panthers weren't done adding weapons after nabbing McMillan, as they also picked up Colorado Buffaloes receiver Jimmy Horn Jr. in the sixth round.

Horn may very well have been one of the biggest sleeper wide outs in this year's draft class, as he lived in the shadow of Travis Hunter at Colorado.

His explosiveness was certainly on display at times throughout the 2024 campaign, and he is apparently already making a significant impact at rookie minicamp.

"Don’t let the 4.46-second 40-yard dash time fool you, [Jimmy] Horn — the final Panthers pick from last month’s draft — has incredible acceleration as a deep-route runner," wrote Mike Kaye of The Charlotte Observer. "He blazed down the field on one particular go route, and he looked about as fast as anyone seen on that field in the past three years of practice."

Horn's rather pedestrian Scouting Combine prevented him from being a late climber heading into the draft, but perhaps that strongly benefited Carolina, which was able to scoop up the 5-foot-10 burner with a late Day 3 pick.

Horn actually began his collegiate career at South Florida in 2021 and spent two seasons with the Bulls before transferring to Colorado after 2022.

Last year, the 22-year-old caught 37 passes for 441 yards and a touchdown, numbers that don't exactly jump off the page. However, if you watched Horn at all, you already know that he has significant potential to become a legitimate deep threat on the NFL level.

Horn could absolutely do damage out of the slot for the Panthers, and he joins a suddenly impressive young receiving corps that also includes McMillan, Xavier Legette and Jalen Cooker.

If these youngsters all materialize, Young will have weapons galore for years to come.