CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- It was a normal throwing session at the University of Arizona indoor practice facility last May when new Carolina Panthers wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan did something that was not normal at all.
The No. 8 pick of the 2025 NFL draft launched himself into the air, spun to his left and caught the ball across his body with his right hand. As the spin continued in the air, McMillan brought the ball between his legs to his left hand, then quickly passed it back through his legs to his right hand before landing with a big smile on his face.
The video went viral on social media and became a part of McMillan's pregame warmup.
"I try not to go one-handed [in games],'' McMillan later said in a segment of "The Film Session'' at Arizona. "I only do it when I have to.''
The segment then showed one one-handed catch after another, including an incredible one in double coverage against the University of Texas-El Paso.
So it's no wonder Carolina quarterback Bryce Young lobbied general manager Dan Morgan and coach Dave Canales to use their first-round pick on McMillan instead of a defensive player.
"Not everybody can do that,'' Carolina wide receivers coach Rob Moore said of McMillan's acrobatic prowess. "That's what kind of separates him from a lot of other receivers in this class.''
Arizona receivers coach Bobby Wade agreed, although he chuckled at McMillan saying he only makes one-handed catches when he has to.
"There wasn't a practice that we probably didn't get through in a competitive period where he didn't have a one-handed catch on a kid,'' said Wade, who was Arizona's all-time leader in receiving yards (3,351) until McMillan passed him (3,423). "It's so natural to him that I almost had to coach that out of him.''
McMillan's ability to make difficult plays look routine was a big reason why the Panthers selected the Hawaiian-born receiver at No. 8, where most analysts projected them to draft a player to help the league's worst defense.
It's what makes Morgan and Canales believe McMillan can be a true No. 1 receiver for Young, something 2024 first-round pick Xavier Legette failed to achievie as a rookie.
"Every time we watched him ... we're just like, 'Another great catch,''' Morgan said. "And just the way that he's effortless, the way he catches the ball and he catches everything outside his frame ... His body control's some of the best I've seen in a while.''
The biggest predraft knock on McMillan was that he didn't exhibit elite separation against defenders. McMillan countered that by using his size (6-foot-4, 219 pounds) and long arms to pull in passes, but that will be challenging at the next level.
"He's gotten away with it in college because he has that kind of radius and the ability to make fantastic catches,'' Moore said of not creating great separation. "That's an area that we will work on to improve, because he does have transition ability, ability to create separation.''
Wade has no doubt that McMillan will be a true No. 1 in the NFL.
"It's his ability to do everything, and that includes blocking,'' said Wade, who played in the NFL from 2003 to 2010. "He's going to be able to fit up with [corners] and safeties because he's physical and wants to be tough.''
McMillan, who likes to be called "TMAC,'' didn't make any highlight catches during the Panthers' recent rookie camp. He spent more one-on-one time with Moore than he did hauling in passes from undrafted rookie Ethan Garbers of UCLA.
Moore, who played 12 years in the NFL, still found plenty to like.
"I was pleased with his work ethic,'' Moore said. "He works on his ability to finish, and try and be detailed. It's one of the hardest things for young players to really dial in on the details of every play. He was really dialed in.''
Canales liked what he saw, too.
"He looks smooth, easy to throw to ... just like we thought,'' he said.
McMillan compares his game to that of future Hall of Famer Larry Fitzgerald (6-3, 218), selected to the Pro Bowl 11 times in 17 seasons with the Arizona Cardinals.
Moore sees the similarities.
"The ball skills, the range, the ability to make plays in traffic really well, all those things,'' he said.
Young first saw those skills when he led national power Mater Dei to a 46-37 victory over McMillan's Servite High in a nationally televised high school game in California.
The two worked together for a day last summer at a 3DQB football camp in California.
"I'm just fortunate that he sat on the table for me," McMillan said of Young lobbying for him at No. 8. "That connection is gonna be something special. ''
While defense was a big need for Carolina, so was the need for a top receiver. Carolina ranked 30th in pass offense last season with 187.5 yards per game.
Also missing was a legitimate deep threat. The Panthers tied for 24th in pass plays that gained at least 20 yards. Legette's seven catches for at least 20 catches were tied for 73rd in the league.
McMillan's 33 catches on passes of 20-plus air yards the past three years were tied for the most in FBS during that span. He also had 145 receiving first downs, including 60 in 2023, which ranked third in college football.
McMillan can play all three receiver spots, something 34-year-old veteran Adam Thielen insists will make everybody better.
Moore believes it will speed up Legette's growth and consistency.
"He's healthy,'' he said of last year's No. 32 draft pick. "He looks fast and extremely confident. ... So I have a good problem in an extremely competitive room.''
The way Morgan and Canales justified picking McMillan was simple. He has the potential to have a bigger impact than anybody else who was available at No. 8, particularly after Michigan defensive tackle Mason Graham went No. 5 to the Cleveland Browns and the top two offensive tackles were gone.
McMillan could add to the pregame warmup intrigue if he and Young continue his one-handed routine.
Moore still remembers his initial "wow'' reaction to it. Wade understands.
"As an athlete that thinks you're pretty athletic yourself, you're thinking, 'How can he do that?' '' he said. "It's just one of those God-given gifts. ... It's just part of his overall ability to make plays.''
