4 players the Carolina Panthers could trade during 2024 NFL Draft season

Jonathan Mingo - Carolina Panthers WR

Now it gets interesting.

Nobody on the Carolina Panthers offense covered themselves in much glory last season. Taylor Moton, Chuba Hubbard, and Adam Thielen became the exception, but it was an unmitigated disaster from start to finish despite team owner David Tepper investing heavily in his supposed all-star coaching staff under Frank Reich.

This became an ongoing frustration - one that limited Bryce Young's ability to show the NFL what he's truly capable of. Perhaps more concerning was the performance levels of Jonathan Mingo during his first campaign in the pros.

Big things were expected of Mingo when the Panthers took him at No. 39 overall. He got glowing references from Steve Smith Sr. and Young, so hopes were high that the former Ole Miss star could potentially hit the ground running and become a prominent feature in the passing game.

Sadly, this didn't materialize.

Mingo struggled to adjust. He's got the physical tools, but creating separation proved difficult. The wideout also went through some confidence issues catching the football and couldn't get on the same page with Young more often than not. He wasn't alone in that regard, but the jury is still out as to whether or not he can carve out a productive NFL career for himself.

It wasn't as if Mingo didn't get opportunities. He accumulated 85 targets as a rookie, bringing in 43 receptions for 413 receiving yards and no touchdowns. This equates to a catch success percentage of 50.6, which is simply not good enough and leaves far more questions than answers.

Trading Mingo after just one season seems drastic. Dave Canales might be able to get a better tune out of his talent than the previous coaching staff managed to accomplish. At the same time, Morgan is going to select one - potentially two - new wide receivers via the 2024 NFL Draft.

If this pushes Mingo out of the equation, then maximizing the player's value during or after the draft becomes more realistic. It would be shocking considering how high the franchise was on the pass-catcher this time last year, but Morgan's business-first culture shift means nothing can be completely dismissed.