Part 4 of a position-by-position Panthers’ training camp preview. Who’s a lock, who will be in a battle and who’s a long shot?
As Dave Gettleman’s wide receiver rebuild enters its second season, this group is much deeper than it was a year ago. The likes of Jason Avant, Tavarres King and Marvin McNutt have been upgraded to Ted Ginn, Devin Funchess and Stephen Hill. That should provide for good camp competition, but this list will need to be halved before the season.
| Name | Year | Games/Starts | Age | Height | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kelvin Benjamin | 2 | 16/15 | 24 | 6-5 | 245 |
| Brenton Bersin | 2 | 15/1 | 25 | 6-3 | 210 |
| Jarrett Boykin | 4 | 39/11 | 25 | 6-2 | 215 |
| Corey Brown | 2 | 13/3 | 23 | 5-11 | 185 |
| Mike Brown | 3 | 18/8 | 26 | 5-10 | 200 |
| Damiere Byrd | R | 0 | 22 | 5-9 | 175 |
| Jerricho Cotchery | 12 | 161/86 | 33 | 6-1 | 205 |
| Devin Funchess | R | 0 | 21 | 6-4 | 225 |
| Ted Ginn | 9 | 120/40 | 30 | 5-11 | 185 |
| Stephen Hill | 3 | 23/19 | 24 | 6-4 | 215 |
| Marcus Lucas | 1 | 0 | 23 | 6-4 | 235 |
| De'Andre Presley | 1 | 8/0 | 25 | 5-10 | 190 |
Locked In
Benjamin, Funchess, Corey Brown, Ginn, Jerricho CotcheryBenjamin’s offseason conditioning aside, he’s the Panthers’ unquestioned top wideout. As a rookie, he put up three 100-yard games but failed to break 50 in seven others. Consistency and concentration are his keys to a successful sophomore season. Behind Benjamin, Funchess’ size and potential give him a leg up on the No. 2 spot. Ginn and Brown give the passing game vertical threats it desperately needs while the Panthers will want to keep Cotchery’s veteran presence around this young group.
Facing a Fight
Brenton Bersin, Jarrett Boykin, HillIf the five guys above are ‘locked in,’ that leaves one, maybe two, spots left. Bersin isn’t a fan favorite, but what matters more is he has the trust of quarterback Cam Newton. That alone gives him a shot to stick around for a second season. After a quiet performance in OTAs and minicamp, Boykin needs to stand out in Spartanburg. And stay tuned for daily Hill updates. The hype behind the former Jets’ second-rounder is still high, but now he has to back up the positive words that seemed to flow out of his coaches’ mouths this offseason.
Long shots
Mike Brown, Damiere Byrd, Marcus Lucas, De’Andre PresleyBrown has NFL experience from his stay in Jacksonville, but it’s hard to see him making a big leap on the depth chart. The most intriguing guy on this list is Byrd, who’s probably not ready for the final roster, but the speedster from South Carolina should at least be able to earn a spot on the practice squad.
Coming Tuesday: Offensive line