By STEVE REED AP Sports Writer

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Carolina Panthers selected Arizona wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan with the No. 8 overall pick in the NFL draft on Thursday night after he got a strong endorsement from quarterback Bryce Young.

McMillan said the third-year QB told him he openly encouraged Panthers general manager Dan Morgan and coach Dave Canales to draft him after they worked out together last summer at the 3DQB football camp in California.

“Bryce, he’s been telling them, ‘Hey, we need to pick this guy,’” McMillan said. “Although I feel like I did what I needed to do to be in this position, I give credit to Bryce for vouching for me and ultimately for them taking the chance on me.”

The two have a history together, having competed as Trinity League rivals at Mater Dei (Young) and Servite (McMillan), though Young was two years ahead of McMillan in high school.

McMillan recalls Young leading Mater Dei to a 46-37 victory over his school in a nationally televised game. He walked away believing that Young, who would go on to win the Heisman Trophy at Alabama, was the best high school player in the country.

McMillan said he was surprised when Young struggled at the beginning of his NFL career, but believes the QB regained his swagger toward the end of last season.

Now he says they have a head start on bringing the “Cali-to-Cali connection” to Carolina.

“He’s someone I looked up to growing up,” McMillan said of Young. “To be able to finally be on his team and fortunate enough to catch his passes, I feel like the sky is the limit for both of us in this offense.”

The Panthers selected wide receiver Xavier Legette from South Carolina with the 31st overall pick in 2024, but felt like they needed to add more firepower on offense. The move makes sense given that the team’s other starting wide receiver, Adam Thielen, will turn 35 in August.

The 6-foot-4, 219-pound McMillan could provide immediate help.

He was a first-team All-American last season and ranked third in the FBS with 1,319 receiving yards while averaging 15.7 yards per catch. He led the Wildcats with 84 receptions and had eight touchdown catches.

“I think the thing that pops off the tape about Tet is just how smooth he is and his body control and his ability to adjust to all types of throws,” Morgan said. “His catch radius and his hands are elite. He catches everything outside his frame. He can win the jump ball down the field and in the red zone. He had 18 touchdowns the past two years, so he puts the ball in the end zone.”

McMillan becomes the first Arizona receiver to be chosen in the first round.

He set a school record with 3,423 yards receiving, breaking the mark previously held by current Arizona wide receivers coach Bobby Wade. He set another school record and caught the eyes of scouts with a 304-yard receiving game against New Mexico.

Canales raved about McMillan’s ability to make cuts at the top of his routes.

“The guy is a baller,” Canales said. “There is a simple way to look at it and that is to watch film and (that is where) the ballers show up and make plays in big moments, and they are always looking to do something special.”

The Panthers opted to improve their offense in the first round instead of addressing a defense that was the league’s worst last season.

Carolina allowed a league-high 31.4 points and 404.5 yards per game in 2024, including a whopping 179.8 yards on the ground, and Georgia edge rusher Tavon Walker was believed to be high on Carolina’s draft board.

However, the Panthers felt they had flexibility to take an offensive player after addressing the defense in free agency by spending nearly $250 million. Carolina signed defensive tackles Tershawn Wharton and Bobby Brown III, linebackers Pat Jones II and Christian Rozeboom and safety Tre’Von Moehrig. The team also re-signed cornerbacks Jaycee Horn and Mike Jackson.

Morgan said the Panthers entertained trade calls, but weren’t going to make a move unless they received an extraordinary offer. They stuck to their draft board and took McMillan.

Now, McMillan said, “I’m ready to take Carolina to the next level.”

BROWNS TAKE GRAHAM WITH 5TH PICK

Cleveland Browns general manager Andrew Berry opted for more draft picks and a defensive lineman instead of a “unicorn.”

After trading the second overall pick to Jacksonville and the chance to get two-way star Travis Hunter, Cleveland selected Michigan defensive tackle Mason Graham at No. 5, another former Servite standout.

“We felt like it was a fantastic opportunity for our organization to go down three spots and add a player in the trenches,” Berry said.

Instead of taking Hunter, the reigning Heisman Trophy winner and a playmaker at both wide receiver and cornerback, Cleveland got Jacksonville’s second- and fourth-rounders this year and the Jaguars’ 2026 first-rounder.

“They traded back for a reason. They wanted to pick me,” Graham said.

The added benefits for the Browns are that they have two of the top five picks in the second round, which is viewed by many as being deeper compared to previous years, along with an additional first-round selection next year.

The Browns will have four picks – two each in the second and third rounds – on Friday.

“Adding a pick in what we view as really the sweet spot for this year’s draft class, and then adding a first-round pick next year, in a class that quite frankly we think will be a bit stronger in the first 30 picks,” Berry said. “We just felt like over both in the short term and and over a multi-year time horizon it fit what we wanted to do with the team and the roster.”

Since Berry became the Browns GM in 2020, nine of his 22 selections in the first four rounds have been on defensive linemen, the most in the league during that span according to SportRadar.

Graham was a first-team selection on the Associated Press All-America team. He had 45 tackles, 7.0 sacks and 3½ tackles for loss last season.

During Michigan’s national championship season in 2023, Graham was the Defensive MVP of the Rose Bowl when the Wolverines beat Alabama in overtime to advance to the College Football Playoff title game.

“He is a DNA match for our defense. He’s a disruptive interior penetrator and can affect the pocket from inside. He produces in a variety of ways,” Berry said.

Graham joins a Browns defensive line that features All-Pro edge rusher Myles Garrett. Berry and coach Kevin Stefanski also liked Graham because interior linemen who can also rush the passer are at a premium.

“He’s one of the best players in the league, and he’s been really dominant, so I’m nothing but grateful to play next to him and build up Cleveland,” Graham said of being paired with Garrett.

Graham’s biggest adjustment will be going from a read-and-react scheme he played in college to an attack style employed by defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz. Berry noted the scheme change is a simpler mentality, but it does take a little bit of time to adjust.

“It’s no secret how you just have to get on the grass and work at it. There’s plenty of glimpses on tape with Mason though that show you how clearly he has the ability to play an attack scheme,” Stefanski said.

Michigan defensive lineman Mason Graham poses after being chosen by the Cleveland Browns with the fifth overall pick during the first round of the NFL football draft Thursday, April 24, 2025, in Green Bay, Wis. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)

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