Kelvin Benjamin spoiled us last year. Rookies aren’t supposed to play like pros from the start.

This year’s Carolina Panthers’ rookie class is like most. All the young guys need seasoning, so they’re being brought along slowly.

Case in point: Read what defensive coordinator Sean McDermott said Monday when asked about linebacker Shaq Thompson’s performance against the Texans.

“We had him scheduled for more [plays] last week but [Jacksonville] changed their approach during the game, and you always want to make sure we manage young players’ plates early in the year. It’s an adjustment going from preseason to regular season, and I thought Shaq did a nice job in his first game, and he made a jump [against the Texans] with rep count and production. We keep progressing at the right pace.”

To get a better understanding of when the Panthers put more on a rookie’s plate this season, let’s start tracking them week-by-week.

Because we’re through just two games, the numbers below aren’t very exciting. But perhaps by the end of the season, we’ll see a clearer picture of if and how the 2015 rookie class progressed.

LB Shaq Thompson

Wk	Opp	Snaps (D/ST)	Tackles
1	at JAX	17/9	0
2	vs HOU	43/12	4

WR Devin Funchess

Wk	Opp	Snaps	Targets	Rec	Yds	TD
1	at JAX	26	2	1	9	0
2	vs HOU	38	4	1	15	0

LB David Mayo

Wk	Opp	Snaps (D/ST)	Tackles
1	at JAX	DNP
2	vs HOU	0/17	2

Others

• RB Cameron Artis-Payne hasn’t been on the field since he played four snaps in the first half of Week 1. He was inactive against the Texans.

• OT Daryl Williams was scheduled to see a handful of plays at RT in Jacksonville, but he sprained his MCL on his first snap as a pro. He may not be back until after the bye week.

• UDFAs RB Brandon Wegher and S Brandon Marlowe haven’t yet been active.

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