Kendall Valenzuela keeps scooping up Tetairoa McMillan because Fantasy Life’s 2025 projections have the rookie pegged for 121.5 targets. She concedes Carolina’s offense makes people queasy, yet reminds drafters that volume is king and Bryce Young showed flashes down the stretch in 2024. Valenzuela thinks McMillan’s cost bakes in all the risk while ignoring a potential triple-digit target season right away.

Calling him his pre-draft WR1, Wilson said eighth-overall pick Tetairoa "Ted" McMillan doesn’t have to command 10 targets a week to be impactful because Carolina now fields a balanced pass-catching group (Xavier Legette, Adam Thielen, Hunter Renfrow, Jalen Coker, and athletic TE J.T. Sanders). Under HC Dave Canales, Bryce Young showed real growth down the stretch, and Wilson expects McMillan to flash the kind of route fluidity seen in the viral camp clip two or three times per game. Wilson advised drafting McMillan as a WR3/FLEX with weekly home-run potential, noting that a 7- or 8-win Panthers season is within reach if those chunk plays hit.

Andrew Erickson grabbed Tetairoa McMillan at 16-to-1 to win Offensive Rookie of the Year, arguing the 2025 class sets up perfectly for a non-quarterback winner. He reminded listeners that the last rookie wideout to claim the award—Garrett Wilson in 2022—needed only 83 catches, 1,100 yards and four touchdowns. Erickson doubts any passer besides Cam Ward has the profile to post the monster debut seasons we saw from C.J. Stroud and Bryce Young, so fading the quarterback group opens the door for McMillan. He believes Dave Canales’ quick-strike attack will pepper the eighth overall pick with targets and that Carolina’s improved defense will keep games competitive, sustaining volume. The running-back field is deep but inherently fragile—Breece Hall’s 2022 injury was Erickson’s go-to example—so even modest durability issues elsewhere could vault McMillan into the lead. Erickson added that a potential Week-1 highlight against Jacksonville, where he envisions McMillan scoring over Jaguars corner Travis Hunter, would give the rookie an early narrative boost voters will remember.

Terrell Furman slammed the +225 line on Tetairoa McMillan eclipsing 1,000 receiving yards, pointing to a recent rookie-WR boom. He rattled off Malik Nabers, Brock Bowers and Brian Thomas Jr. as first-year 1K hitters from 2024 and argued McMillan walks into an even clearer No. 1 role than those predecessors. Furman expects Bryce Young to pepper McMillan with targets in Dave Canales’ quick-strike system and believes Carolina’s projected pass rate will climb because the defense is "good, not dominant," leading to plenty of neutral-script throws. He plans to pair the prop with Panthers over 6.5 wins for a season-long sweat.

Andrew Erickson loved Carolina’s decision to draft Tetairoa McMillan eighth overall even though defense was the bigger need. He called the rookie "a monster in year one," praising McMillan’s size-speed combo and fit with Bryce Young. Erickson expects the Panthers’ defense to improve from last year’s bottom-feeder status—which should create more sustained drives and targets for T-Mac—and recommends aggressively drafting the rookie wideout in season-long and best-ball formats as an immediate fantasy contributor.

Ryan Heath called Tetairoa “T-Mac” McMillan the steal of 2025 rookie drafts, especially in home leagues where he is still lingering in Rounds 6-7. Heath rattled off that 21 rookie wideouts have topped 16 fantasy points per game in the second half of seasons since 2010—exactly when playoff pushes matter—making first-year breakouts true league-winners. McMillan was a top-10 NFL Draft pick, and wide receivers taken that early over the last four years averaged 7.5 targets and just over 1,000 receiving yards as rookies. Heath re-watched Bryce Young’s tape and noted the quarterback’s propensity for pre-snap reads and cover-2 perimeter shots, the very route tree where the 6'3" McMillan wins. With Carolina lacking target competition, Heath sees an immediate Young-to-T-Mac connection and is willing to pay the 3-4 turn on Underdog while laughing at the Round-7 price tag in casual drafts.

Jason Moore pegged Tetairoa McMillan as a smash pick at his late-sixth-round ADP (WR34). Moore believes the former top-10 NFL draft pick will slot in immediately as Bryce Young’s alpha target and set a realistic ceiling of WR15 if everything breaks right. The Panthers’ defense bled an NFL-record 534 points last year and Moore doubts they rise beyond league-average, projecting plenty of negative game scripts that push 35-plus pass attempts per week. With Xavier Legette correctly cast as a complementary No. 2 and only 34-year-old Adam Thielen threatening inside routes, McMillan should dominate first-read looks. Early-season matchups against Jacksonville, Arizona and Atlanta—all bottom-half secondaries by EPA—give him a runway to pop before casual drafters catch on.

Nez said Tetairoa McMillan is a smash any time he slips past ADP because Carolina is about to pepper him with volume. He expects the rookie to flirt with 120 targets right out of the gate after hearing Dave Canales repeatedly stress that the passing game will begin with the X-receiver—exactly how Canales talked about Deontay Johnson last year. Nez added that Bryce Young’s late-season surge showed the accuracy and timing to feed a bona-fide alpha, and the rest of the Panthers’ wideout room is too thin to siphon looks. Combine the Canales funnel with Young’s short-area precision and you get an inexpensive rookie who could immediately deliver WR2 numbers in Best Ball formats.

Pat Kerrane said he is totally comfortable ending up massively overweight on Tetairoa McMillan because the market is still under-pricing McMillan’s true ceiling. Kerrane reminded listeners that the Panthers spent the No. 8 overall pick on McMillan and that the depth chart behind Adam Thielen is desperate for a real target earner. McMillan posted elite collegiate target shares and separation metrics, traits Kerrane looks for when projecting rookie wide-outs to immediately command volume. In the draft pocket where managers are choosing between 32-year-old Mike Evans and volatile Rashee Rice, Kerrane prefers swinging for McMillan’s back-loaded upside: the Panthers will likely bring him along slowly, allowing drafters to bank early production from veterans before McMillan’s routes and red-zone usage spike in November and December. He compared the discount to what we saw last summer with Malik Nabers— a pick that felt expensive at the two/three turn yet ended up a playoff hammer— and said McMillan offers a similar, if not higher, weekly ceiling once the rookie acclimates.

Pat Kerrane said drafters obsessing over pre-draft clips of Tetairoa McMillan joking about film study are missing the forest for the trees. Carolina spent the No. 8 overall pick on him—the same slot that produced Drake London—and Kerrane noted multiple reports the Cowboys would have taken McMillan at 12, confirming league-wide confidence. The rookie exits Arizona with back-to-back seasons over 3.0 yards per team pass attempt and a 44 percent dominator rating, thresholds that historically place receivers in the A.J. Brown/DeVonta Smith prospect bucket. He also logged 2.87 yards per route run last year and never dipped below 25 percent dominator as a true freshman, proving three-year alpha chops. With only 34-year-old Adam Thielen and a below-average defense standing between him and forced volume, Kerrane expects 130-plus targets even if Bryce Young is merely serviceable. He is happily clicking McMillan in the early third round of Best Ball drafts and thinks ADP steam should reach the Drake-London-rookie range before he backs off.

Erik Beimfohr said Tetairoa “T-Mac” McMillan is the rookie wide-out he is most comfortable clicking in the mid-third round of Best Ball drafts. McMillan’s current 35ish ADP bakes in obvious quarterback risk, but Beimfohr argued the upside more than justifies the price. The Panthers made him the No. 8 overall pick, guaranteeing every-down snaps on a depth chart where 34-year-old Adam Thielen is the next best option. Carolina’s defense projects bottom-five again, meaning plenty of negative game script and pass attempts. If McMillan is simply good, there is nothing stopping him from a 140-target season and back-half WR1 finish. Beimfohr acknowledged downside—Bryce Young was benched last year, the offense could skew run-heavy, and T-Mac’s Pac-12 production came against lighter competition—but contrasted that with safer yet lower-ceiling veterans like Garrett Wilson or Tee Higgins who share this ADP pocket. The bet is that raw target-earning ability plus forced volume in Charlotte can outscore more ‘projectable’ WR2 types by the time playoff weeks roll around.

Pat Kerrane called Tetairoa McMillan a smash pick at his early-fourth-round Best Ball ADP after Carolina spent the 8th overall selection on him. Kerrane rattled off McMillan’s elite prospect metrics—4.47 forty, 21 percent slot rate, 5.1 yards after catch per reception, and a 2.87 yards-per-route-run that dwarfed every other big-bodied receiver in the class. Because the Panthers lack a proven target earner outside of Adam Thielen, Kerrane projects McMillan to command 26-28 percent of Bryce Young’s attempts right away, with room for more if Xavier Legette settles into a gadget-plus role. He compared the situation to Drake London’s rookie season ceiling but acknowledged the floor risk if Young struggles. Kerrane has already slotted McMillan 39th overall—one spot ahead of Travis Hunter—in his initial BBM rankings and views him as a priority target in both best-ball and dynasty formats given the rare combination of top-10 capital and immediate target-vacuum environment.

Cooling called McWillen a textbook boundary alpha and plugged him in at 1.03. With Bryce Young lacking a true outside weapon, Cooling expects McWillen to command an immediate, high-volume role. He highlighted McWillen’s NFL-ready route tree and contested-catch chops, forecasting WR2 numbers as early as year one and long-term WR1 upside once Young settles into the new offense.

Davis Mattek prefers Tetoria McMillan to the buzzier Travis Hunter for 2025 Best Ball, citing a safer median projection. Mattek expects McMillan to see roughly 20 more targets than Hunter in Year 1, running a full complement of routes in an improving Panthers offense that was “legitimately fun for the last eight games” of 2024. Although Hunter’s highlights will be flashier, Mattek noted many of McMillan’s looks will be high-percentage, chain-moving receptions that compile fantasy points—think 6-yard slants rather than 40-yard prayers. With Carolina drawing a soft NFC South schedule and Bryce Young showing signs of life down the stretch, Mattek projects McMillan at 73-9-69-6 receiving (wide receiver 26 in PPR). He is comfortable selecting McMillan in the late-fourth round and views him as an ideal floor/ceiling blend for tournament structures that reward cumulative scoring through the first 14 weeks.

Andy Holloway endorsed Tetairoa McMillan as an immediate fantasy contributor after Carolina spent the eighth overall pick on him. Holloway cited Kyle Borgognoni’s research showing that wide receivers projected to go inside the top-10 and actually drafted there have an 86 % hit rate for at least one WR2 season in their first two years. Carolina’s current depth chart—Adam Thielen in the slot and Xavier Legette as the field-stretcher—sets McMillan up to dominate contested-catch and red-zone looks that Bryce Young sorely missed in 2024. Holloway expects a 22-25 % rookie target share and labeled McMillan a mid-round smash in best-ball drafts where spike-week upside is amplified.

Trevor Sikkema said Tetairoa McMillan stepping in at pick 8 instantly solves Carolina’s gaping need for a true No. 1 receiver, not a depth piece. Because the Panthers spent free-agency cash shoring up the defense, the front office could swing big on offense without redundancy. Sikkema argued McMillan’s alpha size/speed profile and contested-catch ability will immediately funnel targets his way, changing the entire complexion of Bryce Young’s passing attack. With only volume-soaking veterans ahead of him, Sikkema projects McMillan to command WR1 usage from day one, making him a top-three rookie pick in dynasty and a late-round redraft gamble who could out-produce ADP.

Theo Gremminger selected Tetairoa McMillan at 1.03, projecting an immediate high-volume role with Bryce Young and play-caller Dave Canales. He forecasted 140 targets as McMillan’s rookie floor, with upside to 150-plus given Young’s history of hyper-targeting less dynamic options like Adam Thielen. Theo trusts Canales to scheme McMillan open and prefers the Panther’s clear alpha receiver path over Travis Hunter’s two-way workload uncertainty. The guaranteed volume plus first-round capital gives McMillan a rock-solid floor with WR1 season-long ceiling potential.

Sean Koerner loved Tetairoa McMillan’s landing spot at No. 8 overall, calling it a "vote of confidence" in Bryce Young and a clear path to alpha volume. Koerner expects McMillan to lead Carolina in targets as a rookie because Adam Thielen is 34, Xavier Leggette profiles as a field-stretcher and the Panthers lack a true chain-mover. At Arizona, McMillan won 68 percent of contested catches and averaged 2.9 yards per route, numbers Koerner compared to the Lions-era Kenny Golladay ceiling. Carolina’s offense was 21st in pace but sixth in pass rate over expectation after Week 10, and Koerner anticipates similar aggressiveness under new OC Kliff Kingsbury. He pegged McMillan for 120-130 targets and recommended drafting him as a mid-range WR3 with upside to crack the top 20 if Bryce Young builds on last year’s late-season efficiency spike.

Chris Raybon said Ted McMillan’s rookie output will disappoint relative to his eighth-overall draft capital. Raybon cited several red flags: Carolina openly tried to trade out of No. 8, hinting they did not value McMillan at that spot; the Panthers needed a true field-stretch threat yet selected another contested-catch specialist; and blue-chip edge rushers were still on the board, forcing them to double-dip on the position in Day 2. He also referenced pre-draft concerns about McMillan’s dedication and questioned whether the pick adds the dynamism the offense lacks. Because the selection looks like a reach and the roster already leans on "solid but unspectacular" weapons, Raybon recommended fading McMillan outside the late rounds of rookie and best-ball drafts and treating him as a depth-only WR5 in season-long formats until his role clarifies.

Steve Palazzolo praised Carolina for taking Tetairoa McMillan at No. 8 instead of forcing an edge rusher, calling the move “mature team-building.” He views McMillan as a top-10 overall talent: 6'4" frame, huge catch radius, 72% contested-catch rate at Arizona and a route tree that wins on slants, digs and deep posts. Palazzolo believes the pick lifts Bryce Young’s efficiency immediately because the big body shifts Xavier Legette into a complementary role and takes defensive attention off TE Jatavian Sanders. He highlighted Young’s final six-game stretch (104.1 passer rating, 8.2 aDOT) and said adding a high-volume possession target should sustain that surge. Palazzolo projects McMillan for 120+ targets as a rookie with red-zone dominance, making him a priority in best-ball rounds 7-8 and a dark-horse OROY ticket at +2500.

Eric Polzin slotted McMillan inside his top six dynasty rookies, projecting a long-term range of top-15 to top-45 seasonal finishes. He compared the rookie’s profile to Michael Pittman Jr. – a big-bodied boundary target who wins downfield – and stressed that Carolina spending the No. 8 pick ensures the coaching staff will manufacture touches even if the chemistry with Bryce Young starts slowly. Polzin did flag short-term hurdles: Young’s pass chart leans heavily toward short and intermediate throws, Adam Thielen will still command slot volume in 2025, and rookie Jalen Coker further crowds targets. Still, the franchise’s obvious commitment to surrounding Young with weapons plus the absence of a true vertical alpha make McMillan a priority mid-first dynasty pick who could develop into a weekly WR2 once Thielen ages out.

Mike Renner said Tetairoa McMillan is “the best pure wide receiver in this draft class” and projects him as an immediate WR1 in Carolina. Renner hammered home McMillan’s elite contested-catch profile—calling his ball skills exactly what Bryce Young needs after last year’s wideouts failed miserably on 50/50 balls. Renner noted that Young already shows a willingness to give his receivers chances downfield (32.4% of 2024 passes traveled 15-plus yards, fifth-highest in the league) but lacked a true winner at the catch point; McMillan solves that on day one. With Dave Canales expected to maintain a pass-leaning script (Tampa ranked eighth in neutral-situation pass rate under him), Renner forecasted 120-plus targets for the rookie and advised season-long managers to treat McMillan as a fringe WR2 from the jump while best-ball drafters chase his weekly ceiling tied to Young’s newfound downfield confidence.

Davis Mattek celebrated Tetairoa McMillan’s surprise selection at No. 8 overall by the Panthers as a massive fantasy win. He already owns 24 % exposure in Best Ball drafts and has slotted McMillan 39th overall—early Round 4—calling him a priority pick over Travis Hunter (44). Mattek compared the rookie to a faster Michael Pittman, citing a 4.40 forty, 2.87 yards per route run, 5.1 YAC per reception and an 11-yard average depth of target despite Arizona’s drop-off in 2024. The Panthers intend to feature McMillan as their big X receiver, giving him a realistic path to a 25-plus % target share, Drake-London-style volume and immediate red-zone work. Mattek acknowledged a lower floor than a hypothetical Dallas landing because Bryce Young remains unproven and the team still has Adam Thielen, Xavier Legette and rookie TE Ja’Tavion Sanders to absorb targets. Even so, he views the offense as "designed around TMAC" and projects WR3 production out of the gate with true WR1 upside if Young stabilizes. Mattek has McMillan ranked in the 3/4 turn for BBM and will stay aggressive in dynasty rookie drafts, valuing him at the 1.04.

Andy Holloway projected the Jets to snag Tetairoa McMillan at pick 7 despite most mocks slotting him in the 20s. Holloway emphasized New York’s barren depth chart behind Garrett Wilson—currently led by Allen Lazard’s 0.78 yards per route—and said Joe Douglas cannot risk waiting on this thin WR class. McMillan’s 36 percent target share, 6-foot-5 catch radius and 4.46 forty make him the pure outside alpha Aaron Rodgers has pined for since arriving. Holloway expects immediate 110-target volume and noted Rodgers produced a top-24 fantasy wideout in 10 of his last 11 healthy seasons. He views McMillan as a smash dynasty pick and a redraft WR3 with weekly upside as soon as the veteran QB’s calf cooperates.

Dave Richard said Tetairoa McMillan could command 120‑plus targets and finish as a top‑30 fantasy receiver as a rookie if New England selects him, noting the Patriots’ barren depth chart behind the injured Stefon Diggs and journeyman Mack Hollins. McMillan’s 6'5" frame, silky AJ‑Green‑like route movements, and T. Higgins‑level catch radius would make him an immediate chain‑mover for whoever plays quarterback in Foxborough. Richard cautioned that McMillan lacks the 4.3‑speed that let Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas thrive independent of landing spot, so volume will be critical. In Jacksonville he’d likely be the 1B behind Thomas, but in New England he would be the unquestioned No. 1 and a weekly fantasy starter. Bryant McFadden agreed, adding that McMillan’s smoothness should translate quickly if he joins a team willing to pepper him with looks.

Evan Abrams said he bypassed the stale +230 “Top-10” price on Tetairoa McMillan and instead grabbed two exact-team tickets: New Orleans to take McMillan at No. 9 at 18-to-1 and whichever club ultimately controls pick No. 10 at 25-to-1. Abrams noted that mocks are split—some analysts push the Arizona wideout outside Round 1 while others label him the draft’s best size-speed athlete—creating a volatile market the Saints could exploit if the skill-position run starts early. New Orleans still lacks a true X receiver and has shown interest in vertical threats during the pre-draft process. Abrams believes McMillan’s 6-4 frame and 4.45 forty fit Derek Carr’s down-field tendencies, and the 18-to-1 / 25-to-1 numbers understate what he pegs as roughly a 7-8 % probability the Saints (or the team at 10 after a potential trade) pulls the trigger.

James Weaver prefers team-specific dart throws over generic over/unders and took Seattle at +850 to draft Tetairoa McMillan. He sees Dallas as the obvious WR1 landing spot but argues that if the Cowboys pivot, McMillan could tumble into the late-teens where Seattle picks. The Seahawks need a vertical X while Christian Watson rehabs an ACL, and McMillan’s 6-4 frame with 4.45 wheels gives Jordan Love a down-field lid-lifter. Weaver sprinkled additional long shots on Arizona (17-1) and Green Bay (25-1) but made Seattle his primary ticket, estimating the true odds at roughly 10%.

Jonathan Jones predicted Seattle will jump from pick 18 to 16—sending a modest day‑three package to Arizona—to secure Arizona wideout Tet McMillan. With DK Metcalf shipped out and Cooper Kupp on what Jones called a “one‑and‑a‑half‑year rental,” the Seahawks want a long‑term X receiver. McMillan checks every box: 6‑4, 208, 4.41 forty, and a Pac‑12‑leading 36 % contested‑catch win rate. Jones emphasized that GM John Schneider views this class as light on true blue‑chip players, so paying a small premium to move up two spots is strategic protection against another club jumping the queue. Fantasy angle: McMillan would slide into immediate three‑wide sets with Kupp in the slot and Tyler Lockett outside, giving the rookie a clear 90‑plus target path in 2025. Jones urged bettors to hit McMillan Under 18.5 draft slot at any number better than –125 before this trade buzz hardens.

Jason La Confora revealed he has already wagered on Tetairoa McMillan to go exactly sixth overall, calling the +750 to +900 prices still available “too good to pass.” He reasoned that minority owner Tom Brady spent two decades begging Bill Belichick for perimeter weapons and now sits in a draft room with the chance to grab the class’s cleanest outside separator. La Confora added that Pete Carroll joined the front office after watching DK Metcalf terrorize defenses and will advocate for a similar profile. With Brock Bowers already in house and the club holding extra Day‑2 picks, doubling up at tight end is unlikely. La Confora is unconcerned about mock‑draft pundits calling McMillan an overdraft; he emphasized the Raiders rank bottom‑three in EPA on throws beyond 15 yards and that McMillan’s 4.46 speed and 88th‑percentile wingspan directly solve that issue.

Emery Hunt advised fading the short odds on a running back and instead betting wide receiver to be Las Vegas’s first selection, spotlighting Arizona’s Tetairoa McMillan at pick 6. Hunt argued the production drop‑off from Ashton Jeanty to second‑tier backs Omarion Hampton and TreVeyon Henderson is minimal, whereas the gulf between McMillan and the next X receiver is significant. With only Brock Bowers in the pass‑catching arsenal, Geno Smith desperately needs a boundary target who can win outside the numbers. Hunt called McMillan “the top WR in the class,” citing a 35% college dominator rating and 3.12 yards per route that eclipse Malik Nabers’ marks from 2024. Given Antonio Pierce’s public comments about adding perimeter speed, Hunt sees the +210 to +250 market on WR as the higher‑EV play.

Renner advised betting Tet McMillan at +400 (Dave found +500) to sneak into the top 10. He compared the lanky Arizona wideout to Drake London—another contested‑catch specialist who went eighth overall—and pointed out that McMillan separates better on tape and owns a 35% college dominator rating. Renner believes teams picking in the 6‑10 range will covet a true X receiver because the second tier of WRs is a steep drop‑off. With only one or two quarterbacks likely early, several premium spots could open for a receiver, making McMillan’s implied sub‑20% chance too low.