TetairoaMcMillan

News: 6 days agoCoach Dave Canales suggested Wednesday that McMillan will work out of the slot more this season, Sheena Quick of Fox Sports Radio 1340 reports.

Spin: If preseason usage means anything, it would seem Canales was putting the plan into action this summer. After playing just 15.3 percent of his regular-season offensive snaps out of the slot as a rookie, McMillan was in the slot on nine of 22 snaps (40.9 percent) across two preseason games. Moving to the slot more would give the 6-foot-5 McMillan significant size and speed advantages inside and allow for more easy "layup" style catches to get the ball in his hands quicker. The 2025 Offensive Rookie of the Year figures to be the center of Carolina's offense this season after posting 70 catches for 1,014 yards and seven scores across 17 regular-season contests last season.

ESPN Fantasy Projection: The reigning NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, McMillan is a candidate to make the leap into the "elite" conversation at wide receiver this season. The 2025 eighth overall pick was very busy as a rookie (top 15 among WRs in snaps, routes, target share, targets, yards, end zone targets and touchdowns) and, while he finished 16th among receivers in fantasy points (22nd PPG), he lacked upside, producing only one top-10 outing (Week 9). Improving on a 56% catch rate will be key in Year 2, though that would require improvement from Bryce Young. McMillan, 23, remains positioned as Carolina's clear top target and, though Young's limitations may cap his ceiling a bit, McMillan's talent/usage combo supplies him with top-10 upside. He's safest as a midrange fantasy WR2.