Panthers HC Dave Canales gives his thoughts on WR Tetairoa McMillan's impressive NFL debut

The Carolina Panthers probably weren't able to extract too many positives out of their sloppy 26-10 loss to Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday. But the organization might be able come out of their 2025 opener knowing that they have the real deal in their latest first-round pick.

Sunday marked the regular-season debut of wideout Tetairoa McMillan, the eighth overall selection of this year's draft. The 6-foot-4, 219-pound rookie reeled in five catches for a game-high 68 yards, accounting for 44.2 percent of Carolina's passing offense.

Head coach Dave Canales, who spoke to reporters on Monday afternoon, was asked for his thoughts on McMillan's productive performance.

"I thought he played fast," replied Canales, who also served as a receivers coach for the Seattle Seahawks from 2010 to 2017. "I thought he looked very comfortable out there, one-on-one outside. We moved him around a little bit, and he showed an ability to be able to handle that. He and Bryce [Young] were on the same page, timing wise. So, I was really pleased with the way he played."

McMillan was close to adding 33 more yards and his first NFL touchdown to his line, but couldn't secure a would-be score due to strong coverage from Jaguars cornerback Tyson Campbell. Canales talked about that missed opportunity as well.

"I'd love for him to come up with the big touchdown in the end zone, shot down the field," he added. "But he ran a beautiful route on it, and he really gave us a chance to have some explosives down the field and to just have a consistent target."

McMillan's showing earned him the Panthers' highest overall grade from Pro Football Focus (78.9) in Week 1.

Follow @ThePanthersWire on Twitter/X for more Panthers content.

This article originally appeared on Panthers Wire: Panthers HC Dave Canales talks WR Tetairoa McMillan's impressive debut