Lost in the discouragement of another disappointing Panthers’ loss was how cornerback Daryl Worley played Sunday in Oakland.

Carolina’s third-round pick had a game-high 12 tackles, two pass breakups and, along with second-round pick James Bradberry, held Raiders’ No. 1 wideout Amari Cooper to a season-low 22 yards.

But while the rookie corners are coming along, the guy drafted ahead of them doesn’t seem to be.

The Panthers made defensive tackle Vernon Butler inactive against the Raiders, electing instead to play veterans Kyle Love and Paul Soliai. Coach Ron Rivera was adamant the decision was solely about strategy, which erases some potential off-the-field questions but doesn’t dissolve concerns about a first-round pick not even earning a jersey in late November.

“It’s one of those things where you look at a guy and you say, ‘OK he’s developing, he’s growing, he’s becoming the player we want to.’ Then there’s a setback,” Rivera said Monday, referencing a high-ankle sprain that cost Butler five games earlier this season.

“Same thing with (Bradberry’s turf toe). The thing that’s been fortunate for James is he’s not 325 pounds. So (Butler’s) ankle, that foot’s going to come back a little bit slower.”

In the five games he has played, Butler’s recorded seven tackles and 1.5 sacks. And with questions already lingering about linebacker Shaq Thompson’s development, the fact the Panthers’ past two first-round picks combined for a total of 17 defensive snaps so late in the season sends up some red flags.

But like many players who suffer high-ankle sprains, it sounds like Butler won’t have a chance to get healthy until after the season.

“Is he back to the guy we saw at the beginning? No, not yet. He’s not going to be until we stop playing,” Rivera said.

“We expect Vernon to come out, keep practicing, keep competing and we’ll see whether or not he’s active against Seattle.”

While Butler was expected to come along slowly in arguably the deepest defensive tackle group in the league, Rivera’s words weren’t exactly a strong vote of confidence. At least the Panthers aren’t pretending everything’s a-OK.

“We need to get him into a rhythm,” defensive coordinator Sean McDermott said, “and I’m sure he’d look forward to getting into one as well.”

As would fans who remain unconvinced about investing so much in what many would consider a luxury pick.