But there’s a lot of time between August and April, and as McCloughan sat there in the car, reporting back to Kirksey what he’d learned in Tuscon, he knew there was still a long road ahead: hours of scouting still to do, draft boards to craft, a Panthers season to play that would determine draft order, and endless possibilities to consider.
“There have been many times, too, where you get excited about somebody, and then, by the time the draft comes, you’re not even in a position where you have a chance to get them,” lamented McCloughan.
As the season progressed, though, the path kept unfurling to bring McMillan to Charlotte. He finished his career at Arizona with another 1,000-plus yard season, helping him set the record for most career yards in program history. On the East Coast, the Panthers wrapped up the 2024 season and prepared for the draft with the No. 8 overall pick.
So many in the outside world thought the club would go defense with the Top 10 pick. In the building, though, it was always about one player: McMillan.
Even when the Los Angeles Rams, who were picking at No. 26, called to inquire about a trade (reports stated they were going to take McMillan at No. 8), Morgan was secretly hoping they would offer something he could refuse so they could still take the Arizona receiver.