Feb. 3, 2026, 8:10 p.m. ET<\/p>\n
With the eighth overall pick of the 2025 NFL Draft, the Carolina Panthers<\/a> selected<\/a> wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan. And with the eighth overall pick of ESPN’s redraft of the 2025 NFL Draft, the Carolina Panthers selected . . . wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan.<\/p>\n The worldwide leader, using beat reporters from all 32 teams, has pieced together<\/a> a do-over of last year’s draft. Luckily for the Panthers\u2014or at least this hypothetical version of the Panthers\u2014they end up with exactly who they took in the first round.<\/p>\n David Newton writes:<\/p>\n As much as the Panthers still need an elite pass rusher, McMillan has been vital as quarterback\u00a0Bryce Young’s No. 1 receiver. With McMillan, the Panthers had the firepower to keep pace with opponents offensively and make comebacks (see: Young’s six fourth-quarter\/OT victories) that they didn’t have the year before.<\/p>\n McMillan, who probably should’ve been grabbed sooner in this redo, is heading into Thursday night’s NFL Honors as the favorite<\/a> for this season’s Offensive Rookie of the Year award. The University of Arizona standout helped the Panthers capture their first NFC South title since 2015, reeling in 70 catches for 1,014 yards and seven touchdowns as the go-to target in the passing game.<\/p>\n Expert NFL picks: Exclusive betting insights only at USA TODAY.<\/a><\/p>\n But Carolina wouldn’t continue with the chalk in the second round\u2014ending up with Baltimore Ravens outside linebacker Mike Green, instead of<\/a> their own pass rusher in Nic Scourton. Newton adds:<\/p>\n Carolina still needs a pass rusher. The Panthers traded up to get\u00a0Nic Scourton\u00a0higher in the second round, but he’s off the board at this point. Green was considered to have Round 1-caliber talent, but\u00a0two sexual assault allegations\u00a0(he was never charged) put him in Round 2. He showed flashes in Baltimore’s pass rush this season, finishing with 3.5 sacks and 5.5 run stuffs.<\/p>\n Scourton, who tied for a team-high 5.0 sacks as a rookie, was selected to the Denver Broncos six spots higher in the redraft.<\/p>\n