Nov 30, 2024; Tucson, Arizona, USA; Arizona Wildcats wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan (4) against the Arizona State Sun Devils during the Territorial Cup at Arizona Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Tetairoa McMillan named Carolina Panthers' candidate for prestigious NFL award

Originally posted on Carolina Panthers on SI
By Russell Baxter | Last updated Jun 28, 2025 7:53 AM ET

In 2024, Washington Commanders’ signal-caller Jayden Daniels won the award. The previous year, Houston Texans’ field general C.J. Stroud captured the honors. Dating back to 2019, the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year has either been a quarterback (4) or a wide receiver (2).

Owain Jones of Pro Football Sports Network named an offensive rookie of the year candidate for each of the 32 clubs. Nearly half of the picks are wide receivers (14), along with three quarterbacks in Cam Ward (Titans), Jaxson Dart (Giants), and Tyler Shough (Saints).

It’s interesting to note that three of those wideouts listed by Jones are with teams in the NFC South, including Atlanta Falcons’ undrafted free agent Nick Nash, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ wide receiver Emeka Egbuka—the 19th overall pick in April’s draft.

How about Dave Canales’s improving Carolina Panthers? The choice was a player chosen 11 picks ahead of Egbuka. “Enter Tetairoa McMillan,” said Jones, “the No. 8 overall selection in the 2025 NFL Draft, who is tasked with taking the receiving game to the next level. The former Arizona Wildcats receiver is plus-1500 with DraftKings Sportsbook to be crowned Offensive Rookie of the Year and follow in the shoes of Garrett Wilson and Ja’Marr Chase as wide receivers to have won the award in the last decade.”

McMillan gives quarterback Bryce Young an extremely inviting target. The 6’4”, 219-pound wideout comes off three productive seasons with the Wildcats, totaling a combined 213 catches for 3,423 yards (16.1 average) and 26 TDs. He totaled 1,300-plus yards in each of his final two collegiate campaigns, and reached the end zone at least eight times in each of his three years at Arizona.

The talented prospect joins a team that was looking for a little more production from its aerial attack. The Panthers finished 30th in the league in passing yards per game. If Young picks up where he left off in 2024, and McMillan lives up to his lofty billing, the latter could put up big numbers and put himself in the mix for NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year honors.

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

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