It was clear that the Carolina Panthers pass-catching group would look vastly different in 2023 after they traded star wide receiver DJ Moore. They packaged Moore, along with an assortment of draft picks in order to trade up and acquire Bryce Young. Now with a potential franchise quarterback, the Panthers will hope for solid production from their revamped receiver room.
Adam Thielen has made a name for himself despite a rocky start to his NFL career. He went undrafted coming out of Minnesota State University, but signed with the Minnesota Vikings following an impressive rookie tryout.
After earning the attention of coaches and fans, he soon became a staple of their offense. He managed to accumulate 6,682 receiving yards, as well as 55 touchdowns in his time there. Thielen was selected to two Pro Bowls during his tenure with Minnesota, and was also named to the 2017 All-Pro second team.
He remained impactful through his final season with the Vikings, posting 70 catches for 716 yards and six touchdowns in 2022. Now 32 years old, Thielen will embrace a new environment for the first time since his rookie season. He should have a strong level of comfortability with his new role, as the majority of his play will likely come from the slot.
Similar to Thielen, the Panthers brought DJ Chark in through the most recent free agency period. Chark was a 2018 second-round pick for the Jacksonville Jaguars out of LSU, and quickly made a name for himself. He burst onto the scene in 2019, earning Pro Bowl honors and hauling in over 1,000 receiving yards.
After four years in Jacksonville, he decided to join the Detroit Lions, where he spent the most recent NFL season. He had a quiet 30-catch, 500-yard season for the Lions, but decided to test free agency once again. He eventually settled on Carolina, where he’ll be a veteran of the receiver room despite being only 26 years old.
Chark isn’t the only LSU Tiger turned Panther who made headlines this offseason in Carolina. Terrace Marshall Jr. was selected by the Panthers with the 59th pick in the 2021 Draft, and has since had a quiet start to his career. Now the longest-tenured wide receiver for the Panthers, that’s expected to change this season.
Coaches have boasted about Marshall’s potential ever since he joined the team, and it seems as though he’ll finally have a chance to shine thanks to DJ Moore’s departure. With a new quarterback and coaching staff, the lead wide receiver role is wide-open, but Marshall looks like the early favorite. His performance in practice has backed that up, as he has astounded with his playmaking ability.
While Chark never actually played with Marshall at LSU, he is joining a different former teammate in Carolina. Laviska Shenault Jr. spent two years with the Jaguars after they spent a second-round pick on him in 2020.
Shenault was known as an electric playmaker coming out of Colorado, and showed flashes of potential during his time in Jacksonville. Despite this, the Jaguars decided to trade Shenault to Carolina in August of 2022 in exchange for two late-round draft picks.
He saw limited action in his first year with the Panthers, but took advantage of his opportunities. This included a 67-yard touchdown off of a screen pass to help secure a week three win over the Saints. With a level playing field, Shenault is now presented with an opportunity to deliver consistent results through his dynamic playstyle.
Joining the crew of second-round wide receivers in Carolina is Jonathan Mingo. The Panthers took Mingo with the 39th pick in this year’s draft, making him the fifth receiver off the board. Mingo had an impressive final season at Ole Miss, with 51 catches for 861 yards and five touchdowns.
His stock continually rose throughout the draft process as teams became enamored with his strength and run-after-the-catch ability. This culminated in him being chosen far before multiple receivers who were considered to be more highly-touted prospects.
Ole Miss has recently been known for producing NFL-quality receivers, with DK Metcalf, AJ Brown and Elijah Moore all being high selections in the last few years. Mingo was the Panthers’ first pick after Bryce Young, and the two have already established a solid rapport in practice.
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Featured image courtesy of the Carolina Panthers
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