Is Jonathan Mingo's training camp stardom a sign of things to come?

Football is back with training camps underway around the NFL. Every camp has a player that shines the brightest. For the Carolina Panthers, it is second-year wide receiver Jonathan Mingo.

Mingo has become the superstar of camp, making multiple catches and scoring touchdowns daily. He has been one of the most consistent targets for second-year quarterback Bryce Young, and some say he has been the best wideout overall.

As jaded as Carolina’s fanbase is with weapons from last year, this improvement should be a sense of optimism. After all, Mingo could only grow after last year's disappointing rookie season.

It was as bad as it gets in almost all phases for Mingo in 2023. The former Ole Miss star struggled to create separation, make himself available in scramble situations, and simply complete a catch. He was towards the bottom of the league in average separation yards with 2.8 yards per route according to Next Gen Stats.

It doesn't get much better when looking at ESPN’s receiver tracking metrics. Mingo finished with a 21-open score, which measures how open a wide receiver is getting. That score was the second-worst in the NFL for tight ends and wide receivers.

Analytics aren't the end-all-be-all - some would say they are just numbers on paper. The game is still played on the field and when I watch the film, I also notice the lack of separation and nuances in his routes. There wasn't a natural feel for the position on an NFL level.

Carolina Panthers WR Jonathan Mingo is bouncing back after poor rookie year

Mingo struggled to find open space. When he did, the second-round pick would lose where he was on the field. He also didn't seem to know when to throttle down on routes, and at times he struggled to make catches outside his frame or in traffic.

This was no surprise. Ole Miss is known for their heavy RPO-based offense that doesn't require many pro-style elements for their receivers to be productive. It was always going to be a learning curve for Mingo as a result.

Mingo showed flashes of yards after the catch prowess and the ability to drop his hips on outbreaking routes downfield. However, he has improved a lot on his weaknesses so far in camp.

The wideout has been getting open on a plethora of short and intermediate in-breaking routes which was a big struggle last year. He also has seen the end zone religiously and became a real threat inside the 20-yard line - something he was not able to accomplish at all last season.

What has made Mingo one of Young’s favorite targets is his improvement in scramble situations. Whenever the signal-caller has bought time with his legs or rolled out, his eyes have consistently found his draft classmate somewhere downfield.

Mingo has shown a willingness to move and find open spots in the defense, creating a stable pair of hands for Young to rely on. Their relationship is flourishing this offseason. Hopefully, this can continue when the regular season arrives.

Regardless of the microwave attention span our society has, a player's story is not written after one year (wild thought I know). Despite the recency bias, Mingo was held in high regard during the draft process. He was seen as a rare big-bodied receiver in a class full of small slots that had the upside and athletic profile to be an outside contributor. He was a player who needed to develop but the pass-catcher had many supporters - one of those famously being Panthers legend Steve Smith Sr.

Smith has had a close eye on Mingo this offseason. He was hands-on working with the second-year pro to improve his game. This is putting his money where his mouth is to help the player and the Panthers. It's already reaping the right rewards.

It is safe to say Mingo is in great hands and whatever they worked on in the offseason is showing up. Every Panthers fan hopes he can continue to blossom when the real action finally arrives.

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