Panthers Prioritize Bryce Young With WR Selection in Latest Mock Draft

Even though the Carolina Panthers are 3-9 for the season, things are looking up for the franchise. After back-to-back wins against the Saints and the Giants, they played competitive and thrilling games against the Bucs and the Chiefs, losing to them by a total of six points. Bryce Young's performance has been the most encouraging part of it all, as the young quarterback finally shows the promise he had as the No. 1 overall pick.

As a result, the Panthers reportedly started to believe in Young as the franchise QB going forward. This means that they will not be selecting another signal-caller in the 2025 NFL Draft, at least in the early rounds. In fact, one recent mock draft has them surrounding Young with more weapons to help him reach another level.

The Ringer's Danny Kelly has the Panthers selecting wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan out of Arizona with the fifth overall pick. Other than Travis Hunter, McMillan is the highest-ranked wide receiver in the draft class, and in Kelly's mock, he is the first WR off the board behind Hunter.

"McMillan is big and explosive with excellent body control that enables him to twist and contort to make tough catches. He’d be the true no. 1 receiver this Carolina offense has been missing."

- Danny Kelly, The Ringer

McMillan has been a dominant pass-catcher for Arizona. After putting up 90 catches for 1,402 yards in 13 games as a sophomore, he recorded 1,319 yards in 12 games as a junior this year, adding eight touchdowns. At 6-foot-5 and 212 pounds, the Hawaii native has all the physical and athletic tools to be a difference-maker in the NFL.

The Panthers recently drafted Xavier Legette in the first round and already have Jalen Coker in the pipeline. Adam Thielen will likely leave in the offseason, allowing the Panthers to have a young and dynamic wideout rotation consisting of Legette, Coker, and McMillan.

Many Panthers fans expect the team to address the defensive side of the ball. Carolina has the worst-ranked defense in the league right now and is in desperate need of upgrades. Ignoring those needs may come back to bite them, but drafting a receiver would certainly help keep Young happy.

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