Tetairoa McMillan almost didn’t make it to Charlotte! The Panthers snagged the electric wideout with the No. 8 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft — but it nearly didn’t happen.
Carolina was deep in talks with a playoff contender itching to trade up for that spot. The war room phones were buzzing, the clock was ticking, and the deal was nearly done. But in a last-minute twist, the trade fell through — and McMillan stayed on the board just long enough for the Panthers to pounce.
Inside the Panthers’ Draft-Day Gamble That Landed Tetairoa McMillan
The Panthers were ecstatic with their choice of T-Mac, but they were in talks until two minutes left to make their selection. Playing phone tag with the Rams, the Panthers had their mind made up as to what it would take to move out of their eighth pick. Ultimately, the Rams were out and didn’t want to give up what Carolina asked.
A blockbuster trade almost went down on Draft night 😯
(via @panthers) pic.twitter.com/lX4tjW5aDi
— NFL (@NFL) June 4, 2025
The NFL took to X to reveal a three-minute video of what went down on draft night, including some key interviews with the Panthers front office. Carolina talked through their thought process as to what it would take to complete a trade, but they made it very clear that they had their mind made up when they saw McMillan still available.
Even though they wasted a few minutes and conducted a few phone calls with the Los Angeles Rams, the official trade offer was never confirmed in the video. The Rams would give the Panthers their No. 26 pick and a few other picks to jump up a huge 18 spots.
Ultimately, the Rams still ended up making a trade. Los Angeles sent their No. 26 and 101 picks to the Atlanta Falcons for No. 46, 242, and a 2026 first-round pick. This trade is a win-win for all sides, as the Falcons got to move up and make another first-round selection. They bulked up their defense by selecting James Pearce Jr.
Now, Bryce Young has a new weapon to play with. In what was described as a “multi-million-dollar decision“, T-Mac immediately has a chance to become WR1 on a team that needed an overhaul on offense. Adam Thielen had a fine 2024 season, but it’s a receiving core with the likes of Hunter Renfrow and Xavier Legette.
At Arizona, McMillan had back-to-back 1,000-yard receiving seasons. While he only had eight touchdowns in 2024 compared to the 10 in 2023, his numbers remained consistent across the board as the 6’5” 212-pound receiver brings a lot to the table in Carolina. With Thielen being the leading receiver last year with a total of 615 yards, that’s a steep downgrade from the 1,319 T-Mac had last year as a Wildcat.
If draft night was a poker game, the Panthers held their cards — and may have just hit the jackpot. Keep your eyes on Charlotte! — The T-Mac era is officially on.