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Jonathan Mingo could take over as Panthers’ number-one target right away

By Harley Hudson

OXFORD, MISSISSIPPI - NOVEMBER 24: Jonathan Mingo #1 of the Mississippi Rebels catches a pass during the game against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium on November 24, 2022 in Oxford, Mississippi. (Photo by Justin Ford/Getty Images)
OXFORD, MISSISSIPPI - NOVEMBER 24: Jonathan Mingo #1 of the Mississippi Rebels catches a pass during the game against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium on November 24, 2022 in Oxford, Mississippi. (Photo by Justin Ford/Getty Images) /
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The Carolina Panthers selected Ole Miss wide receiver Jonathan Mingo in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft with the 39th overall pick and the big wideout could make an impact right away.

Jonathan Mingo was the first Ole Miss Rebel to go off the board in the 2023 NFL Draft, drafted early on in the second round with pick number 39.

Mingo will join a couple of talented veteran pass catchers in 9-year NFL veteran wide receiver Adam Thielen, who was acquired from the Minnesota Vikings in free agency this off-season, and 26-year-old D.J. Chark who was signed from Detroit and will be entering his fifth season.

While Thielen and Chark are fine receivers in their own right, both former Pro Bowlers and Thielen an All-Pro selection in 2017, make no mistake about it, Mingo was selected to be Bryce Young’s go-to guy in Carolina.

Although he still put together a very solid year last year with 70 catches for 716 yards and six touchdowns, Adam Thielen is set to turn 33 before the NFL season starts and is approaching his 10th year in the league. He can still produce respectable numbers, but his All-Pro caliber years are definitely behind him.

A speedy deep ball threat, Chark has been riddled with injuries in his past couple of years and hasn’t finished a full season since 2020.

After trading their best pass catcher, D.J. Moore, this off-season to acquire the first pick in the draft from Chicago, where they selected Alabama quarterback, Bryce Young, Carolina knew that they would have to surround the rookie quarterback with some weapons and subsequently took Jonathan Mingo with their next pick.

Mingo will bring a big physical presence to the Panthers’ receiving corps that will pair well with Thielen, Chark, and tight end Hayden Hurst. At 6’2, 220 pounds, he has been described as a power-forward type of pass catcher who can make plays over the middle and can win after the catch.

This past season at Ole Miss he produced career highs with 51 catches for 861 yards and five touchdowns, earning second-team All-SEC honors. Apart from his size, he also has the speed and athleticism to consistently win against NFL defenders, running a 4.46 at the NFL Combine with a 40-inch vertical jump.

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