Panthers-Jaguars game features one of the best rookie matchups of 2025 NFL season

Early on in the draft season it seemed like the Carolina Panthers might have a shot at drafting Travis Hunter, a unicorn prospect from Colorado who's expected to play both wide receiver and cornerback at the next level, making him the first player to line up on both sides of the ball since Deion Sanders.

In the end the Jacksonville Jaguars wound up paying a steep price to trade up to No. 2 overall in order to get Hunter, ending the pipe dream of him coming to Carolina. The Panthers did get the next-best receiver in the draft, though - taking Arizona's Tetairoa McMillan six picks later when they were on the clock in the first round.

When the schedule came out earlier this week we learned that these two will be facing off early in the season, specifically Week 1. Naturally, the McMillan-Hunter matchup has been named one of the top rookie matchups to watch this year by Bleacher Report.

B/R on Travis Hunter-Tetairoa McMillan matchup

"The two faced each other twice since 2023. When McMillan was lined up opposite of Hunter in the 2023 matchup, he caught three of his five targets for only 15 yards and one touchdown, according to Pro Football Focus... Hunter is expected to play more wide receiver for the Jaguars for now. But if he does take some snaps at cornerback, it will be fun to watch how the reps between him and McMillan unfold."

Tet McMillan — 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. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

It doesn't take an RAS score to see that Hunter is a special kind of athlete. He's certainly much faster than McMillan. However, McMillan will have one significant advantage over Hunter if and when they line up from across eachother: size.

McMillan has three inches and 27 pounds on the second overall pick, which might be just enough to bring down one or two of Bryce Young's beautifully placed deep moonballs. A couple explosive catches like that has the potential to swing a game where Jacksonville is favored by just 3.5 points.

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