Kelvin Benjamin Perfect Building Block for Panthers' Ongoing Offensive Refit

Just like any rookie wide receiver, the Carolina Panthers' Kelvin Benjamin is still refining his skills in the NFL.

Though he still needs to perfect the little things, it's his growing highlight reel of big plays and explosiveness that has established Benjamin as a bright spot for the Panthers' future.

Carolina's offense has experienced some growing pains since offensive coordinator Mike Shula installed his new system in 2013 and began subtly changing Cam Newton's style of play, pushing him to become a more composed pocket passer and run the ball selectively.

The Panthers' crop of new pass-catchers—including Jason Avant, Jerricho Cotchery and Benjamin—clearly could have benefited from more time to learn Shula's system and develop chemistry with their quarterback, as Newton's ankle and rib injuries caused him to miss part of the preseason and Week 1 entirely.

That still-in-development chemistry between Benjamin and Newton has been evident at points this season. That was especially the case in Week 2 against the Detroit Lions, when Benjamin had three dropped passes and a holding penalty.

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As noted by CBSSports.com's Rob Rang before the 2014 draft, Benjamin had a penchant for taking his eyes off the ball while attempting to make defenders miss, leading to too many drops. And according to Jonathan Jones of the Charlotte Observer, his drop rate at Florida State was 9 percent.

The thing about Benjamin is that while he has made some downright impossible catches look easy in his first three weeks in the league, he has missed on what should have been routine plays.

He can also improve his blocking and open it up for other receivers. The latter is a responsibility that will continue to grow as he becomes a solid No. 1 target in the passing game.

Benjamin discussed just that with ESPN.com's David Newton last Monday:

"

That was my main focus coming into this game. I knew they were going to have a lot of double coverage on me, so my main focus was just playing fast with plays to open it up for [other] guys and just blocking downfield for my running backs. I just tried to play real physical on the running.

"

When it comes down to it, however, these are simply rookie mistakes that can be corrected with experience and snaps.

Against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday, Benjamin looked better in his blocking. As for the things that should be hard even for a veteran receiver—the one-handed sideline catches, the contested end-zone receptions—he's still churning out the highlights.

The big play du jour for Benjamin came on a 35-yard touchdown reception with 3:53 left in garbage time. He was a step ahead of Antwon Blake the whole time and made the score stick with perfect footwork.

Of course, he was also able to use his size to his advantage against 5'9" Blake, as the 6'5", 240-pound receiver often does. That height is part of what allows him to come away with contested catches and beat double coverage. His hand size—at 10 1/4", per NFL.com—helps him paw those one-handed balls.

Benjamin has also emerged as the deep threat the Panthers offense needs post-Steve Smith. Pro Football Focus (subscription required) credited him with three receptions of 20-plus yards coming into the Steelers game, and he picked up another Sunday night.

Recall the one-handed, back-shoulder grab Benjamin made Week 2 against Detroit, once again a standout play that masked other flaws in his game—like the fact that he only caught two balls on eight targets.

Benjamin's potential was evident Week 1 with backup Derek Anderson, when he had six receptions for 92 yards and a touchdown. On Sunday night, Anderson and Benjamin connected on a 35-yard score.

It's clearer after Week 3 that he and Newton are getting there, too. Benjamin was the Panthers' leading receiver in the loss to Pittsburgh, with eight receptions for 115 yards and his aforementioned TD.

Benjamin may not be leading wide receivers in receptions, yards or scores, but he's becoming more reliable by the week for the Panthers. As they continue refitting their offense, reliability will give way to playmaking.

Despite the drops, both Newton and Anderson have continued to go to Benjamin in big situations, demonstrating a level of growing trust that is essential in this offense with so many new weapons.

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After Benjamin dropped an easy catch against the Lions, rather than looking to Avant, Cotchery or trusted target Greg Olsen, Newton went right back to the rookie and was rewarded with a 24-yard completion.

"It just shows the relationship between us and the trust," Benjamin told Jones. "I rarely drop balls. I hold myself to a high standard, so I was really down on those drops. I just have to move on from them."

Both Benjamin and Newton appeared to have moved on from them Sunday, and despite the 37-19 loss, there's plenty to like about this Panthers offense and the team's chances to contend for the NFC South title this season.