Part of what it means to be an NFL fan is contending with your team having to face some elite talents twice a season. It's what every rival of the Atlanta Falcons says about Bijan Robinson, but in my experience, there's nothing more dangerous than a young receiver that's on the incline nowadays.
Since the Falcons (luckily) aren't able to face Bijan twice a year, the main players who will keep Jeff Ulbrich up at night are indeed receivers. The NFC South isn't in an era where QBs like Matt Ryan, Drew Brees, and Cam Newton will dominate, it's the pass-catchers who are becoming more dangerous.
The Bucs had Mike Evans and now have Emeka Egbuka, the Saints have Jordyn Tyson and Chris Olave, but in the division, the reigning NFC South champion Carolina Panthers have the scariest young WR of all. Tetairoa McMillan is coming off a great rookie season, and he's bound to improve.
Tetairoa McMIllan will continue to be a thorn in the side of the Falcons
T-Mac (not to be confused with NBA Hall of Famer Tracy McGrady), was drafted eighth overall in the 2025 NFL Draft and instantly cemented himself as Bryce Young's favorite target. And after hauling in 70 passes for 1,014 yards and seven scores, he was named the NFL's Offensive Rookie of the Year.
Tet's continued ascent will be bad news for the Dirty Birds. In two matchups against the Falcons in 2025, McMillan caught 11 passes for 178 yards and two touchdowns, which is mostly due to a Week 11 breakout where he torched Atlanta's secondary for eight catches for 130 yards and two scores.
So Carolina is home to one of the top second-year players in the NFL. That's ought to make Falcons fans sleep comfortably after what they saw in Week 11. But unfortunately, the 23-year-old's best has yet to come, and his reign of terror has yet to truly arrive.
At 6-foot-5 and 212 pounds, McMillan is the perfect big-bodied receiver for a QB like Young. Because he has elite hands, he's essentially become a security blanket as their top pass-catcher. And he can do damage in the red zone, because how exactly can a slower, smaller DB cover a guy with that size?
The most impressive part about the Arizona product is that he commanded a 26.3% target share in his rookie season. Bryce Young invested a boatload of trust in this kid from Day 1, and quickly proved Carolina right for that despite a lackluster 1.83 yards per route run amid inconsistent QB play.
So while Terrell Island will hopefully provide some resistance in neutralizing him, Tetairoa McMillan proved last season that he's destined for bigger things whether Falcons fans like it or not.
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