Panthers Lose Kelvin Benjamin to ACL Tear

The Carolina Panthers have lost their starting wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin to an ACL tear for the rest of the season according to Ian Rapport. Benjamin, the Panthers first round pick in the 2014 NFL draft out of Florida State, went down with the injury early this morning at Panthers training camp. There is no timetable for the surgery or any rehab process, but the ACL tear will bench the star receiver for his entire 2015 season before it even starts.

Coming off a National Championship with Jameis Winston and the Florida State Seminoles, Benjamin led a highly effective wide receiver class out of the 2014 NFL draft. The rookie had over 1,000 receiving yards from 73 receptions, also adding in nine touchdown catches for the Panthers. He did not miss a single game in his rookie season, but is now due to miss his entire sophomore year.

To replace Benjamin, the Panthers receiving corp will need to find some upgrades. They drafted Devin Funchess out of Michigan, who plays a very similar style to Benjamin. I personally compared the two when Funchess was going through the draft process. The third round pick needs to work on his separation, but his hands are solid heading into the season. Other than Funchess, the team has UDFA Corey Brown, Jericho Cotchery, Ted Ginn, and Jarrett Boykin. Greg Olson is also an option at tight end, but his blocking helps what was a weak offensive line in Carolina.

Looking at a weak division, this certainly hurts the Panthers chances to return to the playoffs. They barely made it with an 7-9-1 record, which could lead to a team like New Orleans Saints to take over the playoff spot. There are not many free agent options available at this point for the Panthers to sign with names such as Greg Little and Kevin Ogeltree being the “top names”.