Carolina Panthers wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan lands on the NFL's Top 100 list.
As the 2026 NFL offseason rolls on, the league continues to countdown the Top 100 players from last season. Each offseason, the rankings are revealed as players across the league vote on who they believe are the best of the best.
For the Carolina Panthers, they have had three players inside the top 100 so far.
Quarterback Bryce Young checked in at No. 98 and was followed by teammate Derrick Brown who was at No. 90. But on Tuesday, another Panthers player earned his spot after just one season in the league.
Wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan checked in at No. 87 overall, earning a spot on the list after just one season in the league.
After being drafted No. 8 overall in the 2025 NFL Draft out of Arizona, McMillan put together an impressive rookie season. He caught 70 passes for 1,014 yards and seven touchdowns, earning the AP Offensive Rookie of the Year honors.
Offensive coordinator Brad Idzik praised McMillan after his first season in the league and offered insight as to why he is so good early on.
"He plays around with leverage to DBs," explained offensive coordinator Brad Idzik. "He's playing the game within the game on his first year, and now you add that experience of playing in the NFL under his belt."
"Accelerated growth," Idzik answered to McMillan's greatest strength. "He came in, we joke about it, whatever his age is, he's going on 30, and he soaks up things like a sponge.
"He's a guy that I'll go to, to make sure that, 'Hey, how do you, how do you see the leverage you're playing on 3rd down? How do you see these coverages?' I look forward to going there now that he's got all the offensive terminology under his belt and then continuing to grow it.
McMillan's challenge in year two is to take the next step and be consistent with his play. He will be the No. 1 option for Young in the offense but with that comes more attention from the defense.
Still, the confidence surrounding McMillan taking a step forward in his development is high. The Panthers believe they have a star on their hands and are excited to see him get even better as the years go on.
The NFL Top 100 series is debuting on X each weekday. Each episode will feature two new player reveals (one at 10 a.m. ET and one at 11 a.m. ET) through Friday, Aug. 21. The top 10 will be announced over the course of two weeks, with a player revealed each day at 10 a.m. ET from Aug. 24 through Sept. 4.
