Selecting wide receiver Jonathan Mingo with the 39th overall pick of the 2023 NFL draft was always going to be a long play for the Carolina Panthers. But after just 18 months and 24 games, that play has been cut short.
NFL Network insiders Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport were first with the news on Tuesday that the Panthers are trading Mingo to the Dallas Cowboys. The deal, which will be made official later on today, is going to see the 23-year-old pass catcher and a 2025 seventh-round pick head out in exchange for a 2025 fourth-round pick.
And if that is indeed the compensation for a player who the Panthers were no longer utilizing, then it’s a win.
Mingo was considered a rather raw prospect coming out of the University of Mississippi, but the upside was there—and it was quite intriguing. Perhaps reminiscent of fellow Rebel A.J. Brown, the 6-foot-2, 220-pounder possessed the size, speed and athleticism to become a game-breaking piece at the next level.
But that simply hasn’t been the case in the NFL. Mingo’s tenure in Carolina—one that has yielded 539 receiving yards and zero touchdowns—has been defined by questions about his route-running ability and a lack of effectiveness as the downfield threat the organization was hoping to develop.
Although they spent a high second-round pick on Mingo just a year ago, the Panthers made out relatively well in their return for him. An upcoming fourth-rounder, especially for a team looking to build a fresh foundation, is a solid get for a receiver who has recorded only one catch for one yard over the last month.
With the coaching staff continuing to put their eggs in the baskets of exciting rookie wideouts Xavier Legette and Jalen Coker, Mingo was turning into the odd man out. Luckily, however, the Panthers were able to make the math work on this move.
