Panthers News: Brian Burns, Jonathan Mingo, UDFAs and Frank Reich

Carolina Panthers legend lauds Jonathan Mingo

Jonathan Mingo's arrival to the Carolina Panthers comes with enormous anticipation. The wide receiver impressed the primary decision-makers considerably during his top-30 visit and team owner David Tepper also revealed that Steve Smith Sr. also influenced the selection shortly before it was confirmed. 

Smith is an iconic and respected figure in the Carolinas. He also knows how to properly evaluate the wide receiver position, so his seal of approval held a lot of weight within the war room. 

While emulating Smith's achievements will be difficult, the current NFL Network analyst lauded Mingo's skill set, which is exactly what the Panthers need after including D.J. Moore in the trade package that got them to No. 1 overall. 

"This kid can run. He knows how to work. At times he allows the corner to get his hands on him, but it really doesn't matter because his intermediate route game is extremely high. He's just consistent. Over and over again. Continues to make plays. He's a bowling ball. He will run around you. He will run through you. Teams are starting to pick up on him and knowing and understanding that he will bring something to the table that you will not expect."

- Steve Smith Sr. via Clarion Ledger

Smith has been right with this sort of thing before. He had Cooper Kupp as his WR1 and hopefully, Mingo can emerge as a dynamic contributor that can also assist Bryce Young's transition from college to the pros.