There was a time when it was fair to assume Kelvin Benjamin was the heir apparent to Steve Smith as the No. 1 wide receiver for the Carolina Panthers.
After all, Carolina selected Benjamin with a first-round pick in the 2014 NFL draft right after Smith's tenure with the team, which lasted from 2001-2013, ended. Benjamin also impressed as a rookie with 1,008 receiving yards.
However, Benjamin missed his second season with a torn ACL and was never the same.
Smith didn't exactly mince words when addressing the Florida State product's current state as a potential top receiver during an interview with WFNZ (h/t Tim Weaver of USA Today's Panthers Wire).