Generally speaking, NFL teams that have to rely a lot on rookies to contribute don’t do very well in the standings. There are exceptions to the rule, though – and if the Carolina Panthers can get a meaningful impact from their top three draft picks it will go a long way towards producing their first winning season in seven years.
At the top of the list is their top-10 overall pick, former Arizona wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan. He comes into the league with plus size and catch radius, but the Panthers are going to bring him along at a steady pace to make sure he’s ready for Week 1.
Here’s what head coach Dave Canales said about the team’s goals for McMillan this offseason, according to David Newton at ESPN.
“The goal is to get him comfortable with the system, the different types of plays, and the different formations,… We’re starting to make it more challenging in terms of moving him around in different spots. He’s handling it great.”
The Panthers rested McMillan for the final two days of minicamp after he collided with another player on the first day of practice. Holding him out was described as a purely precautionary move.
When he was on the field, McMillan was taking first-team reps along with Adam Thielen and Xavier Legette, indicating those three will be in the starting linep when the regular season begins.
