Why Panthers WR McMillan was voted No. 87 in NFL Top 100 as a rookie

The 2025 Offensive Rookie of the Year is the third Panther to make this year's list, joining quarterback Bryce Young at No. 98 and defensive tackle Derrick Brown at No. 90.

Voted upon by players, the honour carries more weight than media-driven rankings, and cracking the top 100 as a rookie says plenty about how McMillan's peers around the league already view him.

Here's what got him there, and why Year 2 could mean even bigger things for the young wideout.

What McMillan did to earn his spot

Being the seventh pick in the 2025 NFL Draft meant there were high expectations from day one, and McMillan cleared that bar without much trouble.

In 17 games, he caught 70 passes for 1,014 yards and seven touchdowns, averaging an impressive 14.5 yards per catch.

Compared to all other wideouts, that yardage total ranked 13th, his seven touchdowns tied for 11th, and his 120 targets placed 11th.

That's exceptional output for a rookie catching passes from a quarterback in Young, who was still coming into his own.

McMillan and Young grew together, with the Wildcats product accounting for 44.5% of Carolina's total air yards in 2025, the second-highest share among all wide receivers in the league.

Young acknowledged how special McMillan was on that specific play, telling NFL Network, "When you have a guy that you know you can trust when the game's on the line like that, it means the world."

The recognition from the AP was fully deserved, with McMillan winning the Offensive Rookie of the Year by a landslide, collecting 41 of 50 first-place votes.

What's next for McMillan

It's almost unfair to project McMillan to improve, but it's also reasonable to recognise that every rookie refines their game as they continue to gain more experience.

And if there is room to improve in any respect, it's on slant, post, and nine routes, where his success rate fell off a little compared to his impressive numbers in almost all others.

If other Carolina receivers can step up their game to help him avoid too much double coverage, and Young can build on his breakout year and take his game to an even higher level, the sky is the limit for McMillan.

Jared C. Tilton / Staff

The full Top 100 list so far

• No. 100 - Cameron Jordan, DE, New Orleans Saints
• No. 99 - Quenton Nelson, G, Indianapolis Colts
• No. 98 - Bryce Young, QB, Carolina Panthers
• No. 97 - Ernest Jones IV, LB, Seattle Seahawks
• No. 96 - Travis Etienne Jr., RB, New Orleans Saints
• No. 95 - Demario Davis, LB, New York Jets
• No. 94 - Creed Humphrey, C, Kansas City Chiefs
• No. 93 - Carson Schwesinger, LB, Cleveland Browns
• No. 92 - Azeez Al-Shaair, LB, Houston Texans
• No. 91 - Montez Sweat, DE, Chicago Bears
• No. 90 - Derrick Brown, DE, Carolina Panthers
• No. 89 - Kyren Williams, RB, Los Angeles Rams
• No. 88 - Jack Campbell, LB, Detroit Lions
• No. 87 - Tetairoa McMillan, WR, Carolina Panthers

NFL Game Pass subscribers can watch the reveals on NFL Network live on DAZN.