Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
NFL rookie wide receivers usually have difficulty making an impact, but in 2014, there were a handful of first-year pass-catchers who surpassed expectations. One of those players was Carolina Panthers wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin.
Benjamin wasted no time in becoming QB Cam Newton‘s favorite receiver, as he finished 2014 with 73 catches on 146 targets, gaining 1,008 yards and nine touchdowns. Benjamin put up those numbers despite being double and triple teamed for most the season due to the Panthers’ lack of receiving options.
In order to give the 6-foot-5, 245-pound Benjamin more one-on-one opportunities in 2015, general manager Dave Gettleman made it a priority to find more weapons this offseason, and he was certainly successful. Gettleman signed Ted Ginn Jr. to give the Panthers’ receiving group a speed element. He also brought in former Green Bay Packers wide receiver Jarrett Boykin, who is two years removed from looking like a breakout candidate and is only 25. The last piece to the puzzle was the most important, as Gettleman traded his second, third and sixth-round picks in order to move up in the second round to draft Michigan wide receiver Devin Funchess.
With Funchess the favorite to win the starting receiver job opposite of Benjamin, teams won’t be able to roll a safety to Benjamin’s side on every play like they did last season. Funchess stands 6-foot-4 and 225 pounds, and he will likely have a massive size advantage on any corner in the NFL. Now opponents won’t be able to focus all of their attention to Benjamin’s side of the field.
Although Benjamin is clearly Newton’s favorite target, he likely won’t receive as many targets as he did in 2014 due to all the weapons the Panthers have now. He will have to compete for targets with Ginn Jr., Boykin, Funchess, tight end Greg Olsen, Corey Brown and Jerricho Cotchery, assuming he makes it through training camp without being cut.
One might think that the new receivers will have a negative impact on Benjamin’s numbers, but I think it will be the exact opposite. Benjamin should dominate in 2015 as he faces looser coverages, and Newton won’t feel like he has to force the ball to Benjamin as he did in 2014. Having less focus on him makes for the potential of an All-Pro season in 2015; Benjamin’s that talented.
Benjamin did miss a big portion of minicamp and OTAs due to a strained hamstring, but we are still about a month away from training camp, so he will have plenty of time to get rehab and heal before the season gets underway. If he stays healthy, look for Benjamin to make his first Pro Bowl appearance in 2015, and quite possibly his first All-Pro team, as he helps lead the Panthers to a third consecutive NFC South title.
Jason Fletcher is a Featured Writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @JasonFletcher25, “Like” him on Facebook, or add him to your network on Google+.
