Former Rebels WR Jonathan Mingo Looks To Be Go-To Weapon With Carolina Panthers
All eyes in Spartanburg, S.C., are on Carolina Panthers rookie quarterback and No. 1 overall pick Bryce Young.
That's a good thing. It's less pressure on Jonathan Mingo to be a focal point of conversations moving closer to the preseason.
Mingo, the 39th pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, has been catching balls and rave reviews out of Panthers' training camp early in the process. The season's young, and plenty can happen between now and Week 1's matchup against the Atlanta Falcons, but the former Ole Miss star could be earning a new title in the Queen City.
The role: try to be the go-to target for the franchise's hopeful long-term quarterback.
“He’s been awesome,” said Panthers general manager Scott Fitterer last week at the start of training camp. “We saw really good hands (in Mingo’s early practices). You saw a lot of power. You do see the speed. He’s not an instant twitch guy, but he’s a long speed guy. I think he’s going to play a pretty good role for us this year.”
Carolina liked what it saw in Mingo during the pre-draft process. What's not to like? The former Rebel emulates his game after fellow Ole Miss alum A.J. Brown, relying on consistency and physicality after the catch to pick up the hard yards.
Mingo, who finished with career-highs in receptions (51), receiving yards (861), and touchdowns (5) during his final year at Ole Miss, still is coming into his own. He's occasionally mixed in with the first-team offense but often has been relegated to reps behind veteran receivers like Adam Thielen, D.J. Chark and Terrace Marshall Jr.
Young, a former rival-turned-ally from his time at Alabama, is the unquestioned starter. First-year coach Frank Reich made the announcement public prior to the start of training camp. As for Mingo, Reich will have to earn a more prominent role in the offense in due time unlike Young.
Being consistent in reps and with the quarterback is synonymous with success. Mingo has half the job down, but just with former Rebels starter and Panthers backup Matt Corral, who played three years with him in Oxford.
“Matt’s just like my brother,” Mingo said last week following camp. “We still be playing around a lot. He helps me a lot during (and) after meetings and stuff. He texts me every night.
"He still tries to help me out just like I came in the first day of college.”
Corral, a former third-round pick, now competes for the backup job with veteran Andy Dalton, while Mingo competes with Marshall and Chark for starting reps. Reich said the 6-2 target would have to earn the starting role, but once pads are on, his rep count could expand.
Mingo seems up for the challenge. He's the type of person who is always willing to embrace obstacles while learning by doing.
Take for instance his love of horses; during COVID, Mingo needed something to do to occupy his time. Hesitant at first when offered the chance to ride by a friend, the rookie learned to be the one with the animal.
"Horses — they can sense fear," Mingo said. "If you’re on a horse, you’ve got to say, ‘Hey, I’m in control.’ Because If you’re not confident? Then the horse is riding you.”
It's become second nature for Mingo at this point in life. Riding a horse? Riding a bike? Same basic principles, just like catching balls from Corral versus Young.
All eyes are on Young entering the end of the first week of camp. That's fine with Mingo. As he continues to build in practice, perhaps soon, eyes will be fixated on his white No. 15 behind a Carolina Blue jersey.
A little down the line, pupils may be pressed on No. 9 connecting with No. 15. This time not in practice against teammates, but rather against opponents for points on Sundays.
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