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Dave Canales & Dan Morgan: Panthers were determined to take their 'guy' Tetairoa McMillan

The Panthers took Tetairoa McMillan and then said something interesting about him.
Zach Roberts|
Apr 24, 2025; Green Bay, WI, USA; Arizona Wildcats wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan is selected by the Carolina Panthers as the number eight pick in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Apr 24, 2025; Green Bay, WI, USA; Arizona Wildcats wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan is selected by the Carolina Panthers as the number eight pick in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

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If mock drafts were to be believed, Jalon Walker was the guy for the Carolina Panthers. Analysts believed that to be the case, too. The fit was too obvious, the talent was too undeniable, and the need on defense was too great. It worked out perfectly that way, as Walker was on the board at eight, but so was Tetairoa McMillan. The Panthers took the latter, and then they revealed that the mock drafts were never on the right track.

GM Dan Morgan, who seemed totally enamored with Walker, said after, "Defense is still a need, and we have eight more picks. We wanted to add the best player. We wanted to follow our board, who we thought was going to help us the most. Again, we got our guy, and we're excited about it."

Dave Canales echoed this sentiment. The Panthers reportedly tried to trade down or were at least taking calls, but they wanted their guy. "Unless somebody blew us out of the water, we were going to take our guy," the coach said.

All offseason long, he and Morgan fielded questions about if they'd take a pass-catcher over a defender. They remained coy, and at times even seemed all-in on the defense. Instead, McMillan was their top prospect even over Walker, and they made him their selection.

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Zach Roberts
ZACH ROBERTS

Zachary Roberts is a journalist with a wide variety of experience covering basketball, golf, entertainment, video games, music, football, baseball, and hockey. He currently covers Charlotte sports teams and has been featured on Sportskeeda, Yardbarker, MSN, and On SI.

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