The Carolina Panthers shouldn't have drafted Jonathan Mingo in the second round. But at least general manager Dan Morgan recognized this situation for what it was and managed to get a decent return for a wide receiver who wasn't part of the team's plans.
Morgan gave up Mingo for nothing more than a fourth-round pick, but almost all Panthers fans thought that was a good return. The Ole Miss product had shown almost nothing since entering the league. He became an afterthought in head coach Dave Canales' passing attack. Nobody shed any tears when he was shipped to the Dallas Cowboys before the 2024 trade deadline.
And the transaction is aging beautifully from Morgan's standpoint.
Jonathan Mingo's career continues to spiral long after Carolina Panthers exit
Jerry Jones reportedly loved Mingo during the pre-draft process. The Cowboys thought there was something to salvage, but it has not gone as planned. Now, Jon Machota from The Athletic believes the 2023 second-round pick could be on the chopping block this summer.
"[Ryan] Flournoy is entering the final year of his rookie contract. He had a breakout season in 2025, making it easier for the Cowboys to move on from [Jalen] Tolbert and possibly [Jonathan] Mingo, who has a year left on his rookie contract."Jon Machota
This is quite the fall from grace for Mingo. He was hand-picked by the previous regime to be quarterback Bryce Young's go-to guy for the foreseeable future, but costly individual mistakes and an inability to create separation effectively caused his demise in Carolina.
Getting a fourth-rounder for Mingo was miraculous, looking back. The Panthers spent that pick on running back Trevor Etienne, who didn't get much involvement on the offensive rotation behind Chuba Hubbard and Rico Dowdle. However, he flashed the capabilities of a future Pro Bowl returner with a little extra refinement.
That bodes well for the future. As for Mingo? He should be under no illusions. He is fighting for his future in Dallas when preparations for the 2026 campaign gather pace. And anything less than substantial improvements could mean he is looking for alternative employment at some stage.
The Panthers are moving forward with Tetairoa McMillan and Jalen Coker as their preferred wide receiver tandem. Xavier Legette's development hasn't gone according to plan, so more is needed. Morgan will have a plan in place, but regardless of what acquisitions were made, he was absolutely correct to get rid of Mingo while there was still some semblance of value to extract.
If there was any doubt, how Mingo has fared in Dallas so far confirms it.