Carolina Panthers legend Steve Smith reverses course on Tetairoa McMillan take

Smith wanted the Panthers to go pass rush with their first pick in the 2025 NFL draft, but he's willing to admit he was wrong about McMillan.

Oct 6, 2019; Charlotte, NC, USA; Carolina Panthers former wide receiver Steve Smith Sr. speaks during the Hall of Honor ceremony during halftime against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Bank of America Stadium. | Jeremy Brevard-Imagn Images

Heading into the 2025 NFL draft, everyone and their mother thought the Carolina Panthers were going to go defense with their first pick. Specifically, they were expected to draft Georgia edge rusher Jalon Walker at No. 8 overall.

Apparently you can include Panthers legend Steve Smith in that crowd, and he was not shy about sharing his disappointment with the Tetairoa McMillan pick.

However, Smith has finally come around and now admits that he was wrong about McMillan. Here's what he said about it on his podcast.

This is what separates actual NFL analysts from pundits and entertainers: the willingness to admit when you were wrong about a player. Credit Smith for doing so.

We don't need to relitigate the draft, but it has become clear general manager Dan Morgan made the right call holding off addressing the edge position until Day 2 and adding a big new weapon for Bryce Young first. Heaven only knows what this team would look like right now without McMillan.

That being said, Carolina still needs more edge-rushing firepower, and there's a decent case to address that need first in the upcoming 2026 NFL draft. Nic Scourton clearly has 10-sacks-a-season potential, but Princely Umanmielen has been slower showing his upside, while veteran starters DJ Wonnum and Patrick Jones II have been total busts.

Finding another legitimate pass rush threat has to be at the top of this team's list going into the offseason - but they also need to keep building the supporting cast up around Bryce Young. Specifically, he really needs a reliable pass-catching threat at tight end. Mitchell Evans may be that guy, but it's no guarantee yet.

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