When the Carolina Panthers’ rookies report to the Wofford dorms Thursday, none will check in as starters. Of the five picks, only receiver Devin Funchess saw first-team snaps this spring.A first-year guy needing to prove himself in training camp obviously isn’t uncommon. But it’s a reminder that Funchess, linebacker Shaq Thompson, offensive tackle Daryl Williams, linebacker David Mayo and running back Cameron Artis-Payne are really just beginning their journey.”One of the things we talk about here is earning the right. Nobody’s anointed. You’ve got to come in and earn your spot,” general manager Dave Gettleman said.Thompson will be the most intriguing rookie in Spartanburg, and not just because he’s the first-round pick.Since he had to spend most of the spring taking classes at Washington, even his fellow linebackers aren’t sure what to make of him just yet. It’s tough enough to judge a new guy off weeks of OTAs and minicamp. Thompson was around for just five practices.As he continues to catch up, he figures to begin camp behind third-year player A.J. Klein. Then we’ll see how long that lasts.”Obviously, with a first-round pick, your expectation is he’s going to help, so we’ll see,” Gettleman said. “[Thompson’s] a great kid; he’s done as much as he can in the short window he’s had. He did some things in the veteran minicamp that made us happy and got us excited.”As exciting as the prospect of injecting Thompson’s athleticism into the defense may be, this Panthers’ draft class doesn’t seem to have anyone as compelling as Kelvin Benjamin was last year.What started in the spring continued in the summer. Benjamin was a man among boys making eye-popping receptions and rarely dropping anything thrown near his wide catch radius.A year later, those images may be a concern for Funchess. Well, not for him, but for those of us watching and analyzing him.Benjamin was the exception. Rookie wideouts aren’t supposed to make the transition look as easy as he did. That’s not to say Funchess won’t flash in Spartanburg. But because of what Benjamin and his exceptional rookie receiving class did, immediate expectations for Funchess may need to be tempered just a bit.”As I said after we drafted Devin, I think in time you’re going to find the ’14 draft class of wide receivers was a special group,” Gettleman said.”Everybody’s got different expectations for everybody else. At the end of the day, do I think [media and fans] have overblown expectations? I don’t know. We just feel like he’s great fit for us, and we’re excited that he’s here.”

Pre-Camping with Dave Gettleman, Monday

Part 1: Cam Newton’s OffseasonPart 2: NegotiationsPart 3: Josh NormanPart 4: Current Salary Cap StatusPart 5: 2016 Comp Picks

Tuesday’s Posting Schedule

1:00 – Michael Oher3:00 – Running Backs4:00 – Defensive ends8:00 – Rookies9:00 – Onto Spartanburg