Feb. 13, 2026, 6:31 a.m. ET<\/p>\n
The Carolina Panthers<\/a> undoubtedly had one of the most impact rookie classes this past season.<\/p>\n Their youngsters got some recognition from NFL Media editor Gennaro Filice, who graded and ranked<\/a> every team’s unit coming out of the 2025 campaign. Filice grades Carolina’s bunch at a ‘B+’ and slots them in at the No. 9 spot on his list.<\/p>\n He writes:<\/p>\n As we dive into draft season, there\u2019s something everyone needs to guard against: The Overthink. You know what I\u2019m talking about. Inevitably, in every draft cycle, certain prospects are put under\u00a0too strong\u00a0a microscope. It\u2019s the obnoxious byproduct of two months of fervent football analysis without any real football. Suddenly, sparkling college production falls victim to a primal desire to POKE HOLES. It felt like Tetairoa McMillan dealt with this one year ago. Despite posting astonishing numbers at Arizona and possessing extraordinary size for his position, McMillan had a surprising number of doubters during the pre-draft process. The Panthers were\u00a0not\u00a0among them, and T-Mac rewarded the franchise with an\u00a0Offensive Rookie of the Year\u00a0campaign. Looking like a true WR1 from Day 1, McMillan led all rookies in receiving yards (1,014) and touchdown catches (seven). In related news,\u00a0Bryce Young\u00a0took a substantial\u00a0step forward in his development, and Carolina ended a seven-year playoff drought. Don\u2019t overthink it, people.<\/p>\n McMillan, the eighth overall pick<\/a> of the 2025 NFL Draft, was named<\/a> the AP Offensive Rookie of the Year last Thursday night. He became the first Panther to win the honor since quarterback Cam Newton, who did it in 2011.<\/p>\n