Kelvin Benjamin Poised to Become Next Elite Carolina Panthers Wide Receiver

The Carolina Panthers selected wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin out of Florida State with the No. 28 overall pick in the 2014 NFL draft, and it appears that the club has unearthed an elite weapon for its passing attack.

Carolina took a major hit at the position this offseason, as the team did not retain star wideout Steve Smith who signed with the Baltimore Ravens. It left a major hole on the roster, but Benjamin looks poised to fill in nicely as one of quarterback Cam Newton’s main options.

Considering the attrition that Carolina underwent in terms of its receiver corps this spring, this pick was an absolute necessity for the organization. Newton lost his four top wideouts from 2013, the squad’s first playoff campaign in five years.

ESPN's Chris Mortensen noted this and pointed out that Benjamin led the ACC in scores in 2013:

Not only did Smith move on, but Brandon LaFell, Ted Ginn and Domenik Hixon also all defected to other franchises via free agency.

Player	Notable 2013 Stats	2014 Team
Steve Smith	64 rec, 745 yds, 4 TD	Baltimore Ravens
Brandon LaFell	49 rec, 627 yds, 5 TD	New England Patriots
Ted Ginn	36 rec, 556 yds, 5 TD	Arizona Cardinals
Domenik Hixon	7 rec, 55 yds, 1 TD	Chicago Bears

Panthers general manager Dave Gettleman joked that Newton would be extremely happy with this selection, telling Ira Schoffel of the Tallahassee Democrat: "I'm sure Cam is not mad at me now.”

While there is still work to be done in order to make wide receiver a position of strength for the team, the Panthers took a major step towards accomplishing that goal on Day 1 of the draft.

Benjamin is brimming with upside and is coming off an incredible 2013 campaign. He was an absolutely dominant weapon for the undefeated, national champion Seminoles—his presence was critical for the program in terms of accomplishing that latter feat.

Most remember Benjamin not for his 54-catch, 1,011-yard, 15-touchdown 2013 campaign, but rather for his athletic, game-winning touchdown catch with the clock running down to beat the Auburn Tigers in the BCS Championship Game.

That fine catch alone gave scouts and fans alike glimpse of what he is capable of as a red-zone target, using his massive 6’5”, 235-pound frame, leaping ability and wingspan to shield off smaller defensive and get the ball at its highest point.

Newton is going to have a lot of fun throwing jump balls to Benjamin in the corner of the end zone, as there aren’t many cornerbacks or safeties capable of successfully contesting passes to this 23-year-old.

Joe Schad of ESPN pointed out the similar builds between Newton and Benjamin:

Gettleman cited this when explaining why his club elected to nab the FSU product with its first-round choice, per Schoffel: "You can't coach 6-foot-5, 240," Gettleman said. "We feel really, really good about this pick."

Head coach Ron Rivera is enamored with Benjamin’s upside and size, according to Schoffel: "His size and catch radius is phenomenal," Rivera said. "He has a high ceiling."

Colin Hackley/Associated Press

That height and athleticism should make the Panthers' passing game more explosive and productive, allowing Newton and the offense to convert more red-zone opportunities into touchdowns.

Carolina ranked No. 19 in the league in scoring TDs inside the opponents’ 20-yard line, converting 52.08 percent of their opportunities there into six points. It’s a respectable number, but it pales in comparison to the likes of the Denver Broncos (72.73 percent), Cincinnati Bengals (71.43 percent) and Dallas Cowboys (68.63 percent).

You’ll likely notice that those three teams shared something in common: They each had at least one tall, athletic weapon for their signal-callers to look for in the end zone.

The Panthers will likely have Benjamin on the field and logging a high number of snaps from day one. They simply don’t have the depth and cannot afford to let Benjamin learn from the sideline.

He’ll be thrown to the wolves early, but it appears this behemoth has the size and skills to fend for himself. Even if he struggles with route-running and other technical aspects of the game, he will be able to haul in scores and move the chains by virtue of his height and spectacular catch radius.

That will put him on the path to becoming a superstar and it should be fun watching the Newton-to-Benjamin combination for years to come. They will improve one another’s game and should soon burst out as one of the top wide receiver-quarterback connections in the NFL.