What fans want to know ahead of Week 1

The Carolina Panthers enter the opening week of the regular season with plenty of question marks yet to be answered. Fans are curious about how their team will perform heading into the year, and want to gauge what is to come.

With Week 1 just days away, let’s reach into our very first mailbag here at Panthers Wire and answer a few of your inquiries . . .

(Note: Some questions have been edited for length and clarity.)

Expectations for Jonathan Mingo

Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images

Justin asks – What are you expecting from Jonathan Mingo in Year 2?

There was a lot of criticism about Mingo’s play as a rookie in 2023. The second-round pick’s spatial awareness and feel as a wideout were inconsistent at best—resulting in him being out of position, overrunning passes thrown his way and, overall, just offering a skill set that was plain raw.

It’s not Mingo’s fault that the bar may have been set too high. The former Ole Miss standout was a bit overdrafted, and struggled in a bad 2023 Panthers offense. Grace should be given to the 23-year-old.

Mingo turned in a terrific summer where he displayed strides as a route runner and an improved feel for the game. He all but established himself as the No. 2 outside receiver–the off-ball Z–and a potential top target for fellow draft classmate and Panthers quarterback Bryce Young.

This season should see Mingo come close to doubling his yardage total from last year, where he caught 43 passes for 413 yards and no touchdowns. He’ll be the team’s top run-after-catch playmaker outside of rookie Xavier Legette and should receive a decent number of targets.

Xavier Legette’s role in the current rotation

Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images

Chris asks – How do you think they work Leggette into the rotation? I assume he’ll start the season as WR4.

Chris, you are correct. Legette is currently listed as the team’s No. 4 receiver on the unofficial depth chart. While some fans have voiced concerns about Legette potentially not seeing ample playing time early in the season, the team’s first-round selection should hit the gridiron plenty.

Legette will likely be in when the team needs a big play downfield, or if they want to get him in space where he can split defenders and create yards after the catch. He would rotate in with Adam Thielen and Mingo, with snaps as the Z-receiver and in the slot to garner off-coverage looks. But, no, I don’t expect him to get eight to 10 targets per game—at least early on.

Look for…