Getty Images
The Carolina Panthers entered the 2015 NFL Draft looking for a No. 2 receiver to start opposite of Kelvin Benjamin. While general manager Dave Gettleman didn’t have any receivers on the board worthy of the club’s first-round selection, he did have his eyes on a receiver in the second round: Michigan TE/WR Devin Funchess. The problem was that the Panthers didn’t pick again until No. 57, and Funchess likely wouldn’t have stayed on the board that long. As a man that values the draft as much as any general manager, Gettleman decided to trade No. 57, his third-rounder, and fifth-round pick to the St. Louis Rams in order to move up to No. 41 and select Funchess.
Funchess stands 6-foot-4 and 225 pounds, and he played tight end during his first two years at Michigan before being moved to wide receiver in 2014. He finished his career with 126 catches for 1,715 yards and 15 touchdowns, despite catching passes from one of the most disappointing quarterbacks in college football, Devin Gardner.
With his height and size, Funchess will have an advantage on almost every corner in the NFL not named Richard Sherman. Panthers quarterback Cam Newton has a tendency to throw balls high, which could be advantageous for the Panthers with the size of Funchess, Benjamin and tight end Greg Olsen. It should help make the Panthers the best team in the NFL in the red-zone.
One of the biggest problems for the Panthers in recent years has been a lack of weapons for Newton. With Funchess now lining up opposite Benjamin every play, it will force opposing defenses into more one-on-one matchups, which should always favor the Panthers.
According to Panthers wide receivers coach Ricky Proehl, Funchess has already learned the playbook for all three wide receiver positions. “You can tell he’s emotional about it,” Proehl said. “The end of his college experience wasn’t great. I flat out told him, ‘Michigan is done. You are in a great situation now.’ He’s embraced that. “He’s been amazing learning our offense,” Proehl added. “Now we have to fine tune it on the field.” Proehl later stated that he felt Funchess was a steal.
Funchess attributed being a quick study to his hatred of losing. “I’m a winner. I hate losing,” Funchess said. “It frustrates me when some people don’t get it, so I just make sure I know everything so I can help somebody else out.”
Funchess also got a little on-the-job training, as Benjamin missed most of OTAs and mini-camp with a strained hamstring. Benjamin’s absence allowed Funchess the opportunity to get more reps with Newton in the offense, which will be a huge advantage down the road. Short of an injury, Funchess will be the starting wide receiver opposite of Benjamin in Week 1.
The Panthers’ offense will rely heavily on Funchess’ ability to perform from Day 1. If he can have the kind of impact that Benjamin had in 2014, then the Panthers could have their best offense in years. If not, then the Panthers’ passing game could be stagnant once again, and offensive coordinator Mike Shula will likely be out of a job.
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+.
