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The NFL’s Offensive Rookie of the Year race in 2025 runs through the NFC South. It’s one of the more unpredictable elements of an already wild season. What began preseason seeming like a lock for running back Ashton Jeanty has now settled in to being a two-horse race between a pair of wide receivers, both in the same division, fighting down the stretch to see who can claim the award. Offensive Rookie of the Year might not be the NFL’s most coveted reward, but it’s something only a player has once chance to ever take home.
Now we look at No. 8 pick Tetairoa McMillan of the Carolina Panthers, and No. 19 pick Emeka Egbuka from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, both of whom have resumes worthy of the award, both are quickly cementing themselves as forces in the league — but playing different roles, and thriving in different ways.
54 receptions, 748 yards, 4 TD — FedEx Air & Ground Player of the Week (Week 11)
Projected: 83 receptions, 1,156 yards, 6 TD
The Panthers bucked every draft analyst by deciding to take a 1st round receiver for the second straight year, rather than address their pass rush. Early returns are showing they made a franchise-defining decision, and the correct one.
McMillan and Bryce Young’s “Cali Connection” was touted by Carolina shortly following the draft, but the two former high school rivals has proven it was more than a marketing pitch. From working together in the offseason, to flourishing together on the field — Bryce and Tet are quickly becoming a young duo to watch in the NFL.
What we’ve seen so far from McMillan is, well, everything. He has the deep threat potential to be an X-receiver on the outside, and while his top-end speed doesn’t create massive levels of separation, his ability to contest the ball at the catch point or make circus catches with defenders draped on him mean that at the very least teams need to respect the potential that he could create an explosive play any time the ball is thrown his direction. This was one of the subtle reasons Rico Dowdle had so much running success during his mid-season breakout, with McMillan freezing safeties and forcing them to play over the top — rather the climb the box to assist in run support.
While those explosive plays haven’t always materialized, McMillan has become the best critical down receiver on the Panthers. He’s caught 44 passes for first downs in 11 games, often on key third down plays. What Tet lacks in nuance as a route runner he makes up for in raw intuition, routinely finding the soft spot in zone and making big catches. There’s also an element of shared accountability, with both McMillan and Young acknowledging when they’ve missed a play, sharing discussions on the sideline on how to get better, and growing together.
A rejuvenated, aggressive downfield passing game the Panthers showed against Atlanta could manifest itself as a...
