PFF suggests Tetairoa McMillan is already a top 20 wide receiver in the NFL

For weeks, it has looked like Tetairoa McMillan is going to be a star for the Carolina Panthers. The production has been pretty strong, but the eye test and game tape show a player mature beyond his years, a rookie who plays like a veteran. He's been calm, dynamic, and pretty reliable.

What if the Panthers don't have a star in the making, though? What if McMillan is already a star, one of the best WRs in the entire NFL? That seems to be the case. Don't take my word for it, though. PFF, the advanced analytics outlet, has him as a top-20 wideout in the entire sport.

Tetairoa McMillan is already a stud according to PFF

Tetairoa McMillan has, at times, struggled with drops, which is not uncommon for a rookie. But everything else is already a polished skill for McMillan. His routes are crisp, his technique is sound, and he can make the highlight-reel catches.

For all of that, PFF gave him a 76.0 season grade so far, which is not elite like Puka Nacua and Jaxon Smith-Njigba (both over 90.0), but it's very solid, ranking 17th in the entire NFL so far. Already, McMillan is one of the best.

"McMillan saw a season-low five targets in Week 6, securing three catches for 29 yards. However, he still put his stamp on the game with two touchdown catches, the first of his career. Both scores came in the red zone with Donovan Wilson in coverage. The first was early in the second quarter after McMillan got by an initial defender and forced Wilson to stumble on his way to a wide-open 19-yard catch," analyst Lauren Gray wrote.

The second career TD came after releasing from Wilson for a short score to give the Panthers a lead late in the fourth quarter. Despite the lack of catches, McMillan made his mark, and even excelled (74.8 grade) in the run-blocking department.

"The top-10 pick is now up to 27 catches for 380 yards this season. He is tied for fifth in red-zone targets (seven) and has brought in five such passes for 38 yards and four first downs. He has earned a 71.1 PFF receiving grade on those plays," Gray added.

17th is nothing to sneeze at, especially when you look at some of the names below McMillan:

Cooper Kupp
Courtland Sutton
Emeka Egbuka
Davante Adams
Garrett Wilson
AJ Brown
Terry McLaurin
Nico Collins
Malik Nabers
Matthew Golden

Egbuka has been incredible and is a major Rookie of the Year contender, but this suggests McMillan has been better. The Panthers might finally have a legitimate weapon.

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