Wide Receiver – Ole Miss
5’11” 215 lbs
2nd Round – 8th Pick (39th Overall) – Carolina Panthers
Jonathan Mingo wasn’t considered a first-round prospect. However, the former Ole Miss star was the fifth wide receiver drafted in the 2023 NFL Draft. Mingo had a productive college career, totaling 112 receptions for 1,758 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns.
Last year he had the best year of his career. During that time, he totaled 51 receptions for 861 receiving yards and five touchdowns in 2022. Overall, his 861 receiving yards ranked seventh in the SEC, while his 16.9 yards per reception ranked ninth in the conference.
Fantasy Football Outlook
Mingo couldn’t have asked for a better situation. The Carolina Panthers had to mortgage their future to move up for the No. 1 overall pick. The team made the right call, but it came at a cost.
Unfortunately, the Panthers had to give up DJ Moore in the trade. While they signed Adam Thielen and DJ Chark in free agency, the veterans are not long-term solutions.
Therefore, the team knew they had to add a wide receiver with their early second-round pick. Mingo is a perfect fit. However, he won’t have much fantasy value early on as a rookie. Thielen will be the No. 1 wide receiver. Meanwhile, Chark and Terrace Marshall Jr. will likely start the year as Carolina’s No. 2 and No. 3 receivers. That being said, it will only take a matter of time for Mingo to replace them as a starter opposite Thielen.
The former Ole Miss star receiver can play all over the field. He is also a solid blocker. More importantly, Mingo is physical and can create after the catch. Some scouts have compared him to former Ole Miss star A.J. Brown.
Brown had 52 receptions on 84 targets for 1,051 receiving yards and eight touchdowns as a rookie. While he won’t put up those numbers, Mingo should become a popular waiver wire target around Thanksgiving. Once he takes over as a starter, the former Ole Miss star wide receiver should give fantasy players WR3-level production for the rest of the season.
Dynasty Outlook
While Mingo’s redraft value is limited, he has tremendous upside for dynasty fantasy football leagues. Bryce Young has the chance to be an elite NFL quarterback. Meanwhile, Chark and Thielen are short-term options. Chark is a free agent after this year, while Thielen likely won’t be on the roster after the 2024 season.
With Carolina not having a first-round pick next year, the Panthers are unlikely to add a wide receiver that can challenge Mingo for the WR1 role in 2024. Therefore, the former Ole Miss star wide receiver should be Young’s go-to target as early as the end of this year or the 2024 season at the latest.
Mingo isn’t a top-seven pick in dynasty rookie drafts in Superflex leagues. However, his landing spot and draft capital put him in the late first-round conversation. Meanwhile, the former Ole Miss star is a top-10 dynasty rookie draft pick in 1QB leagues. Finally, he is the perfect target for contender teams with an aging wide receiver unit. It might take a year for him to become fantasy-relevant, but Mingo has talent and plenty of upside.
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