The Panthers selected Ole Miss WR Jonathan Mingo in Round 2 of the 2023 NFL Draft. Mingo is a bet-on-traits prospect. He spent four years at Ole Miss but never led the team in receiving yards and totaled only 12 TDs. His career 25.6% Dominator Rating (share of team receiving yards and receiving TDs) lands in the 40th percentile. But Mingo goes 6’2, 220 pounds with a 4.46-second 40 time and a 39.5-inch vertical. His Combine performance earned him a 98th percentile Relative Athletic Score. That size and athleticism pops on tape. Mingo is a smooth mover who can win deep and after the catch. He was one of 12 WRs in the nation to earn a 99.9 Pro Football Focus grade on deep targets last year – AND averaged a big 7.3 yards after the catch per reception. Mingo lands on a Panthers squad without any long-term, impact WRs. Playing alongside the highly-accurate Bryce Young only adds to Mingo’s dynasty appeal.

Panthers WR Jonathan Mingo was knocked out of Sunday's game vs. the Seahawks with a concussion. We'll track his progress through the protocol this coming week. His absence should mean more snaps for WR D.J. Chark.

The Athletic's Joe Person named WR Jonathan Mingo a training camp “riser.” According to Person, the rookie showed he’s “going to be a big part of the rotation with a solid camp.” Mingo should also benefit from the strong showing by QB Bryce Young. See where Mingo stacks up in our fantasy WR rankings.

The Panthers' initial -- and "unofficial" -- depth chart lists rookie WR Jonathan Mingo as a starter, alongside WRs Adam Thielen and D.J. Chark. This might mean nothing, of course, given that teams differ in how seriously they treat released depth charts. But rookies more often appear lower vs. reality on these initial charts -- not higher than their actual standing. So we'll take this is a good sign for the second-round pick. That doesn't make Mingo an exciting fantasy football draft pick in a situation with limited ceiling potential. But he's fine as a best ball selection. No Panthers WR sits inside the top 50 in either our fantasy football rankings or ADP.

It's not hard to figure out why new Panthers WR Jonathan Mingo made it into Round 2 of the NFL Draft. He averaged 15.7 yards per catch for his SEC career, including 16.9 his final season at Ole Miss. Then he ran a 4.46-second 40 time at the Scouting Combine and notched 89th-percentile measurements in the broad and vertical jumps -- at nearly 6'2 and 220 pounds. So what's not to like? Mingo caught just 39 passes across his first two college seasons. He seemed on his way to a breakthrough junior year before a foot fracture disrupted things. And even in his best (fourth) season, Mingo still trailed teammate Malik Heath in receptions and yards. That makes it tough to expect Mingo to immediately lead an NFL WR corps in production. The rookie sits just ahead of Adam Thielen to lead Panthers WRs in Underdog ADP. But you won't find him nearly so high in our WR rankings. Carolina doesn't sport an impressive group at the position, but be careful about overrating the rookie on that factor.