Alright, let’s talk about my process with Jonathan Mingo this past fantasy season. It’s been a bit of a ride, tracking him from the pre-draft noise all the way through the actual games.
Getting Started: The Draft Buzz
So, the whole thing kicked off for me way back during NFL draft season. I started hearing Mingo’s name pop up more and more. Came out of Ole Miss, big guy, supposedly physical. You know how it is, you try to get a feel for these rookies early.
I remember specifically pulling up some college tape. Didn’t go super deep, just watched the highlight reels and maybe a couple of game clips floating around. He looked decent, had some size, seemed like he could handle contested catches. That physical profile definitely caught my eye.
Fantasy Draft Prep: Where Does He Fit?
Then we moved into fantasy draft prep time. This is where I really started thinking about where Mingo might land in drafts. The Panthers grabbing him in the second round was interesting, especially since they also took Bryce Young first overall. That QB-WR stack is always tempting, right? Even with rookies.
I jotted down some notes:
- New QB, rookie connection potential.
- Opportunity? Who else was really there besides Thielen? Seemed like targets could be up for grabs.
- Physical tools seemed okay on tape.
But, honestly, I was hesitant. Rookie QB, rookie WR, new coaching staff… that’s a lot of ‘new’. I decided he was more of a late-round flyer for me, someone to maybe stash and see what happened.
Draft Day and Early Season Watching
Come draft day, I think I ended up grabbing Mingo in one deeper league. It was super late, like one of the last few rounds. Felt like a low-risk gamble. In my main leagues, I mostly passed, letting someone else take the chance. There were other guys I felt more comfortable with.
Then the season started. I made sure to keep an eye on the Panthers’ box scores and watch redzone highlights whenever I could. Early on, it was pretty much what I expected. He was getting some snaps, a few targets here and there, but nothing consistent. Lots of inconsistency, some drops maybe, just not clicking right away.
The whole Carolina offense looked rough, let’s be honest. Bryce Young was under pressure constantly, and the rhythm just wasn’t there. That obviously didn’t help Mingo much. He wasn’t separating easily, wasn’t commanding targets.
Mid-Season Reality Check
By mid-season, I was pretty much souring on his immediate impact. Thielen was getting peppered with targets, becoming the clear WR1. Mingo was just… there. He had that one decent game, I think it was against Detroit maybe? Gave a glimmer of hope. But it wasn’t sustained.
I mostly just left him on my bench in that one league. There wasn’t enough production to trust him in a starting lineup. You’d see maybe 4-5 targets, catch 2 or 3 for like 20-30 yards. Just not fantasy relevant most weeks.
Final Thoughts: Looking Back and Ahead
So, reviewing my whole Mingo experience this year? It was a learning process. The initial thought process – rookie QB/WR connection, opportunity – made sense on paper. But the reality of a struggling offense and a rookie finding his way was harsher.
My takeaway now is that he was purely a developmental stash this year. The physical tools might still be there, but the production wasn’t. I ended up dropping him in that one league when bye weeks got tough.
Will I be interested next year? Maybe. Depends on the offseason moves Carolina makes and what reports come out of camp. But I’m definitely not banking on him being a starter for me right out of the gate in 2024. It was a good reminder that rookie WRs, especially on messy offenses, often take time. Gotta be patient, or just avoid the situation altogether sometimes.
