CHARLOTTE — The crux of any sport is competition. Without competition, it's essentially just moving around. But to be the best, you have to beat the best. It's an area in which receiver Adam Thielen admits the Panthers have been building toward since he arrived, particularly in the receiving corps.

"I say this; competition brings the best out of everybody, so I think that's something that was probably not quite there the last few years in the receiver room in particular and maybe just on the team in general," Thielen said recently. "You might have good players, but you got to have competition. You got to have multiple guys that are behind you that (you) are like, all right, like I better step my game up, even as a veteran guy, like 'Hey, I better show up today and tomorrow and put my best foot forward otherwise that guy's gonna take my job.'

"So I think it just brings out a different type of competition and level of play, to bring more guys in and guys that are not just, you know, guys that are just bodies, right; guys that are actually going to compete and have a chance to start or get a lot of playing time."

Creating that competition has been an area of focus for coach Dave Canales and general manager Dan Morgan since taking over their respective roles in early 2024. It was the focus in free agency, the focus in the draft, and the focus even in signing undrafted free agents.

"Our goal for every position group is to create that competition all the way through the depth chart," Canales said during rookie minicamp. "And we really feel like we accomplished that with this rookie class, bringing those guys into the rest of the group."

That group started with Tetairoa McMillan.

The Arizona receiver was drafted No. 8 overall in April after back-to-back seasons of 1,300-plus yards with the Wildcats. Many pundits expected the Panthers to go defense with that Top 10 pick, given the records Carolina infamously set last season. But Morgan attacked that side of the ball hard in free agency. Given McMillan's availability at No. 8 overall, Thielen wasn't surprised with the choice.

"I mean, in this league, you kind of just expect everything, right? Like, you can't really go in like, oh, they're just going to draft a defensive guy," said Thielen. "You just kind of have an open mindset. You're excited to bring in high-quality players that can make an impact right away. Now, we won't know what that looks like until probably 3 to 4 weeks into OTAs to see what we really truly have and how they can help impact this team.

"You want to bring in high-quality football players to help this team win games, and you don't care what position that's at because at the end of the day, especially for me, not a lot of time left, so I want to have the best football team as possible and bringing in good quality guys, which it seems like we have in the draft and free agency, I'm excited.:

McMillan's 1,319 yards in 2024 were third most in FBS, and he made a reputation for himself as a winner on contested catches.

"He's a big long receiver that has phenomenal body control and can make contested catches and can play a lot of different spots," Thielen noted, "which in this league, in my opinion, to be a great receiver in this league, you have to be able to play in the slot, you have to be able to play outside, you have to be able to run a lot of different routes and make contested catches.

"So, from the little I've seen, he's that guy. It only benefits everyone else because if he can move around, I can move around, you know, Jalen Coker can move around, Xavier Legette can move around."

Despite McMillan's accolades and draft stock, Canales is carefully tempering expectations, beginning with TMac himself, ensuring the rookie he doesn't have to come in and immediately take on the pressure of being WR1.

"As we've talked, my expectation for him is to just get one day better," Canales said of his message to McMillan. "Apply himself to the installs, know that he's coming into a group of guys that have been in this system now, a couple of guys for a few years, you know, and then for him to just be focused on just getting one day better. And then that's gonna elevate the whole group.

"(Fifth-round rookie) Jimmy Horn Jr., same thing, you know, (UDFAs) Kobe Hudson, Jacolby George, these are all guys who are really good football players, really good wide receivers."

The Panthers OTAs, and therefore the three to four weeks Thielen mentioned, are set to start on Tuesday. Rookies were on the field for rookie minicamp and have been on the grass with veterans for voluntary offseason workouts. Still, those are mostly about individual drills with a loose football structure. Tuesday is when the speed and the competition pick up.

In recent years, the wide receiving corps spent OTAs with a group that had around five to six names that were still on the roster by September. This offseason, the unit will begin with OTAs with 12 receivers total, including two first-rounders, two fifth-rounders, three Pro Bowls, and four 1,000-plus-yard seasons.

It should increase competition in the unit, a rising tide raising all boats, and make the final roster spots hotly contested throughout the offseason. For the veteran in the group, it's an enticing change.

"I'm excited to see what that does to this room," said Thielen. "We got a lot of great players, and I think it's just going to elevate the level of play in everyone's game."