By game’s end, as mentioned above, TMac had a game-high stat line with five receptions for 68 yards. Those numbers alone put him third on the Panthers’ all-time list for a receiver’s rookie debut, trailing only Muhsin Muhammad (96 yards) and Kelvin Benjamin (92). It was also the most receptions and the highest yardage total of all rookie receivers in the NFL this opening weekend.
Panning out to look at this performance relative to history also bodes well for McMillan.
Since 2015 (10 years, 11 drafts), there have been 14 wide receivers drafted with a Top 10 pick. That includes the two this past April, McMillan and Travis Hunter, who played both receiver and corner for the Jags on Sunday. Those picks in the Top 10 range from No. 2 overall (Hunter) to a couple of guys taken at No. 10 overall.
Three of those receivers—Kevin White (Chicago, 2015), John Ross (Bengals, 2017), and Mike Williams (Chargers, 2017)—did not play in their teams’ Week 1 game of their rookie season due to injury, although Ross only played three games total his rookie season, primarily sitting out as a healthy scratch.
Three receivers had a group high of six receptions: Hunter, DeVonta Smith (Eagle, 2021), and Corey Davis (Titans, 2017). Four others are tied with McMillan with five receptions: Malik Nabers (Giants, 2024), Drake London (Falcons, 2022), Ja’Marr Chase (Bengals, 2021), and Amari Cooper (Raiders, 2015).
Only four of those 14 receivers finished with more yards than McMillan: London (74 yards), Chase (101 yards), Smith (71 yards), and Davis (69 yards).