Is Jonathan Mingo the future WR1 for the Carolina Panthers?

Could Jonathan Mingo emerge as the future No. 1 wide receiver for the Carolina Panthers if everything goes well during his initial transition?

The term "Wide Receiver U" tends to be associated with blue-blood college football programs such as LSU, Ohio State, and Alabama, and for good reason. These schools have all produced multiple NFL wide receivers in recent years, with stars such as JaMarr Chase, Justin Jefferson, Michael Thomas, Jaylen Waddle, and Devonta Smith having come from these powerhouse programs.

However, Ole Miss has some impressive NFL alumni of their own, and new Carolina Panthers wide receiver Jonathan Mingo may be the next in line.

When it comes to Ole Miss wideouts in the NFL, two names come to mind; D.K. Metcalf and A.J. Brown. Both prolific wideouts are big-bodied individuals who win with their physicality, and Mingo profiles as a similar style of wide receiver.

Jonathan Mingo can help the Carolina Panthers immediately

At 6-foot-2 and 220 pounds, Mingo fits the mold of a possession wide receiver working out of the slot. He should be able to make tightly contested grabs while also blocking in the run game or during screen plays.

Mingo's strength is his calling card, as his 22 reps on the bench press at the NFL Scouting Combine ranked second amongst all participating wide receivers.

Carolina's newest weapon will likely never become a true burner of a deep threat, at least not as a primary facet of his game. Mingo has good but not great speed and lacks the twitchy quickness of the league's true home-run threats.

That said, his strength will allow him to pick up yards after contact. While Mingo's attention to detail and his high-end route running should help him get open despite not having an elite top-end burst.

While Mingo did not have eye-popping production in college, much of that was due to circumstances that were out of his control. During his first two seasons, current Cleveland Browns wideout Elijah Moore was taking up a large number of targets, while his third year was cut short due to a broken foot.

When he finally got his chance in 2022, Mingo rose to the occasion, earning second-team All-SEC honors. The best performance of his career came in a road matchup against Vanderbilt in which he racked up 247 receiving yards, setting the Ole Miss single-game yardage record in the process.

With Adam Thielen, D.J. Chark, and Terrace Marshall Jr. already in place within the Panthers' wide receiver room, Mingo is entering a crowded position group. However, only Thielen is under contract with Carolina past 2024, and at that point, the veteran will be 35 years old.

Chark, meanwhile, is on a one-year deal and has struggled with injuries in recent years. Marshall Jr. has shown promise but has not yet produced at a high level and was also brought in under a different coaching regime.

In selecting Mingo, the Panthers added a young weapon that can grow alongside Bryce Young and could eventually become the primary wide receiver in Carolina. If Metcalf and Brown are any indications, he has a good chance to do just that.