Carolina Panthers Rookie Class Officially Ranks Among NFL’s best

PFF releases its grades for every rookie class in the NFL each year. The Carolina Panthers’ rookie class as a whole was a mixed bag; the highs were very high, especially with players like Tetairoa McMillan and Nic Scourton making immediate impacts.

The other members of the rookie class didn’t stand out as much, but the top of the class balanced out the ranking.

PFF ranks the Panthers’ rookie class 2nd, only trailing the Chicago Bears

Despite some of the rookies who didn’t perform well throughout the season, the top of this class was special, and they are going to be a huge focal point for Carolina’s turnaround that started this past season. The Panthers’ rookie class slots at second overall, with a grade of 67.4.

How well did each rookie class perform in 2025?

1. CHI
2. CAR
3. DET
...
30. SF
31. CIN
32. MIA

Measured by snap-weighted rookie PFF grades, Data from @PFF pic.twitter.com/QkRVNYgpTl
— SFdata9ers🏈📊 (@sfdata9ers) January 21, 2026

The Panthers and Bears, of course, have plenty of recent history, with the Panthers sending a haul of draft picks along with wide receiver DJ Moore for the 2023 No. 1 pick, where QB Bryce Young was selected.

That trade made an impact for the 2025 draft as well, as the Bears were able to draft their standout rookie receiver, Luther Burden III.

The Panthers ranked second and had a slightly higher grade than two division rivals, the New Orleans Saints and Atlanta Falcons, whose rookie classes rank fourth and sixth in the NFL.

Clearly, Tetairoa McMillan is the standout, the former eighth overall pick from Arizona who made an immediate impact and improved as the season went on.

McMillan finished the year with over 1000 yards receiving and was the only rookie to achieve that. His individual grade for the season was 78.7, ranking him 21st among all wide receivers this season.

EDGE Nic Scourton was the other real contributor amongst this rookie class. Scourton recorded eight sacks on the year and should only get better from here.

Nic Scourton cut up vs the jets:
6 pressures and 1.5 sacks #KeepPounding pic.twitter.com/3blhgp4hl3
— The Real Ball Watcher (@thaRBW) October 22, 2025

The Panthers as a whole struggled to bring pressure to opposing QBs, ranking 31st in the NFL, but Scourton certainly isn’t the problem, and when Carolina brings more help along the defensive line, it’ll only help Scourton improve even further.

There are other rookies who were solid for Carolina, even if they're not making the front page headlines, guys like Mitchell Evans, who wasn’t used at a high volume but was reliable. He caught 19 of his 25 targets and scored two touchdowns for the Panthers this season

Another great draft class could be in the works

Unlike last year’s NFL Draft, Carolina owns all its picks and also has Minnesota's fifth-round pick, meaning the Panthers should be able to bring in even more young talent that can contribute from the jump.

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