CHARLOTTE – When the Panthers drafted Devin Funchess in the second round a year after selecting Kelvin Benjamin in the first, the belief was the two big-bodied wide receivers would push one another.
After Benjamin posted more than 1,000 yards and nine touchdowns as a rookie, he was the clear leader of the wide receiver group when Funchess arrived and went through some early growing pains during the 2015 training camp. Benjamin embodied what Funchess was striving to become.
But following the 2016 training camp, we’ve seen things shift.
“To be honest with you, where Devin is right now and where Kelvin needs to get to, I think Devin is pushing Kelvin,” wide receivers coach Ricky Proehl said.