‘I think he’s a stud’ — 49ers HC Kyle Shanahan drops a bold statement regarding Panthers’ Tetairoa McMillan and his future in the NFL
A lot of people seem to be a fan of the Carolina Panthers rookie.
The draft debate surrounding wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan was highly controversial leading up to the 2025 NFL Draft with some experts viewing his a potential first-round pick and some mocking McMillan as a late first-round selection.
Ultimately, the Carolina Panthers were the ones to confidently pull the trigger on the prospect many seemed to have various questions about. And when they did, choosing a wide receiver over another position of need, other teams were left scrambling with their draft boards.
The Los Angeles Rams, for example, explored moving up in the opening round with the intention to possibly select the former Arizona standout. It was clear head coach Sean McVay was intrigued by the thought of adding McMillan to his offense and now we know one of his close friends feels the same way.
Kyle Shanahan shares high praise for Tetairoa McMillan ahead of Week 12 matchup
On Monday, the Panthers will face off against the San Francisco 49ers and 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan made his true feelings heard when asked about going up against the Panthers rookie wide receiver.
“I think he’s a stud,” Shanahan told reporters on Thursday. “He’s going to be one of the best receivers in this league sooner than later. He’s got all the skill sets to do it and I think he’s just getting started.”
Shanahan went on to say that McMillan was one of the wide receivers that caught his attention during the draft process before the Panthers snatched him off the board.
The high level of interest was warranted based on the first 10 games McMillan has played with the Panthers. Not only does he lead his team in receptions and receiving yards, he also leads all rookies in both categories.
His impact has been huge for the Panthers offense, turning into an immediate go-to target for quarterback Bryce Young. McMillan has already posted three games with double-digit targets and now has two games with 100+ receiving yards following his breakout game last Sunday.
The best part is that the Panthers are still scratching the surface with all of the ways they can deploy the skill set of their top rookie selection to create different ways to stress a defense.
“We’re just trying to move him around, trying to make sure he doesn’t get the hard down every play,” Panthers head coach Dave Canales explained this week. “When I say the hard down, anytime you’re in a three-by-one formation and he’s the single side X, there’s a lot of things that a defense can do. First and foremost, you can put your best corner over there to cover him. Secondly, you can cloud it with a safety over top… There’s a lot of things that defenses can do when he’s singled up.
“The goal was to try and continue to move him around in different spots… Just get him in different places. He’s seeing different types of coverages, knowing that we can also rely on him to win some one-on-ones out there but that becomes a really difficult position for the receiver.”
It’s remarkable McMillan is already getting this kind of attention from opposing defenses and still finding ways to win. And now the team is exploring ways to move him around the formation to avoid those tough match ups and he’s still winning in other spots as shown by his insane game in Week 11.
We’re talking about a rookie who’s still learning how to be a consistent weapon in the NFL. The sky is the limit for what McMillan can achieve and he’s well on his way toward becoming a top wide receiver many envisioned he could become.
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