In the spring of 2014, a 23-year-old Kelvin Benjamin wowed Panthers' offseason practices.

This spring, a 22-year-old wideout is doing the same.

Because Devin Funchess was drafted one May after Benjamin, it's easy to forget there's a three-year age gap between them. Benjamin looked like a man among boys when he first came to Carolina, and in some cases he was. Funchess, on the other hand, looked like a typical rookie.

Now with a full NFL season under his belt, Funchess seems like a different guy.

"He's light years ahead of where he was," coach Ron Rivera said Tuesday. "He's confident, and he's very comfortable in our system, and he understands it."

Arguably the most impressive player in the three OTA practices open to the media, Funchess hasn't just stood out with acrobatic catches and sure hands. He appears to be carrying himself differently, too.

Apparently, there really is something to the two Cs.

"It's just being more confident and comfortable and knowing where I have to be and what I have to do in it," Funchess said.

"Everything is a lot smoother. Everything is second nature to me."

It's all a natural progression for a player who was only 20 when the Panthers traded up to grab him in the second round of the 2015 draft. Funchess wasn't going to be like Benjamin as a rookie.

As part of a historically strong receiver class, Benjamin destroyed Panthers' records with 73 receptions, 1,008 yards and nine touchdowns in 2014. He wasn't a typical rookie.

Because Funchess was, he needed time to "get it." A nagging hamstring injury didn't help, costing him reps in training camp reps and two preseason games. But something clicked after he played a season-low 10 snaps against the Colts in Week 8.

Funchess sprinted to the finish line with 24 catches for 383 yards and five touchdowns in the Panthers' final nine regular-season games. In his previous seven games, his line was 7/90/0.

With Benjamin coming back from an ACL tear, he and Funchess are each heading into what's only their second full seasons. And now they're both confident and comfortable.

"It started to slow down back in the second half of the season last year," Funchess said.

"Now it's all just easy going."