ESPN analyst Field Yates discusses what the Carolina Panthers need to do during NFL Draft

Carolina needs a playmaker on offense to help quarterback Bryce Young. Yates feel that Tetairoa McMillan is the perfect fit.

Transcript

00:00Yeah, so the Panthers still have a wide receiver need.

00:02As of right now, their wide receiver depth chart led, of course, by Adam Thielen, who's

00:06got one year left in his contract.

00:07But he's not a part of the long-term future for Carolina, who has a third-year quarterback

00:11who showed tremendous promise last year in Bryce Young.

00:14They have Jalen Coker, an undrafted free agent, last year.

00:17And then also Xavier Leggett, who was the 32nd pick in last year's draft.

00:20He's going to be a foundational piece for them.

00:22They need more difference-makers.

00:23They've got a very rugged offensive line, and they've spent big on their defensive front

00:27early on in free agency, as well as the secondary.

00:30They reinvested in J.C.

00:31Horne.

00:32They signed Trayvon Merrick from the Las Vegas Raiders.

00:35They signed Tank Wharton from the Chiefs.

00:37I thought about Mason Graham if he had gotten there for Carolina, and I certainly was thinking

00:41about a pass rusher as well.

00:43But I ended up with Teddero McMillan, because I do think this offense is still one difference-maker

00:47short at that pass-catcher spot, because they don't have a difference-making tight end yet.

00:52J.T.

00:53Sanders, their fourth-round pick, the first pick of day three last year, gives me some

00:55hope, but wasn't quite there as of yet.

00:58I hear you on TMAC.

00:59I totally get you.

01:00There are some people that feel as though Teddero McMillan might go closer to 20 than

01:04he will 10.

01:05We talked about this leading into the combine.

01:07If he had run a 40, and that number had been 4-4-8, I think he does not get out of the

01:11first 12 or 15 picks.

01:14But if he had run a 40, and he ran a 4-5-2 or a 4-5-3, yeah, the number might have been

01:18closer to pick number 20.

01:20But I'm just going to continue to trust that this guy was outstanding in contested catch

01:24situations last year.

01:25He's just over 6-foot-4.

01:27He's 219 pounds, back-to-back seasons with 1,300-plus receiving yards.

01:33The only player in all of FBS to do that.

01:36To me, Teddero McMillan is one of those players that we might overthink a lot for the next

01:40six weeks, and then we get into his rookie season in the NFL, and you're like, oh wait,

01:45that guy's really big, has really good hands, runs good routes.

01:49That's a pretty good starting point for a starting wide receiver.