Carolina Panthers rookie minicamp preview: Get to know the team’s newest quarterback

Jack Plummer thought he might hear his name called on Day 3 of last month’s NFL Draft. But when that didn’t happen, the 24-year-old quarterback and his reps went looking for opportunities in undrafted free agency.

Plummer, who bounced from Purdue to California to Louisville during his college career, found a worthwhile landing spot in Carolina. While Bryce Young — last year’s No. 1 pick — is set to return as the undisputed starting quarterback, and veteran Andy Dalton will once again back him up, the Panthers lacked a third quarterback heading into the summer.

“Evaluating all of the options that we had, and then just looking at the situation that Carolina had, we just thought that was the best play for me and my career,” Plummer told The Charlotte Observer this week.

Plummer agreed to terms on a contract with the team shortly after the draft concluded. That agreement put Plummer in prime position to get a strong set of reps during the offseason program.

On Friday, during the team’s annual rookie minicamp, Plummer is likely to lead the offense throughout the weekend.

“I’m looking forward to just being in an NFL building, and learning an NFL system, and being able to be coached by professional coaches, and really, just getting better.” Plummer said. “Also, just getting out there with my teammates and meeting them and try to build a relationship that way. So, I’m really excited for rookie minicamp coming up.”

Plummer, a Gilbert, Ariz. native, is used to establishing himself as a leader in new places in a hurry.

Over the past two seasons, Plummer has had to immediately win over the Cal Bears and Louisville Cardinals’ locker rooms with little time to spare. While he started out at Purdue and played three seasons with the Boilermakers, Plummer had to pick up and move twice to make the most of his college career.

The whirlwind conclusion to his college slate could help him as he adapts to a new situation in the NFL in Carolina.

“There is something about going into a locker room and you don’t know anybody on the team, and you’ve got to learn everyone’s name, and as a quarterback, you’ve got to be a leader,” Plummer said. “So, to be able to establish yourself in such a short amount of time — I’m definitely thankful for the (previous) opportunity to do that.

“I never really envisioned my college career ending up at three different schools, but that’s just kind of the way it went. But, yeah, there’s definitely some silver linings to it. It’ll definitely help me a little bit more going into my transition into the NFL.

Plummer threw for a combined 68 touchdowns, 31 interceptions and 9,728 passing yards in 45 games (38 starts) in college. He had a 64.1% career completion percentage.

That production — despite the three separate playing tenures — drew the interest of the East-West Shrine Game.

Eric Galko, the director of football operations for the college all-star game, came away impressed by Plummer’s handle of the offense in Arlington, Texas.

Plummer is “super smart, experienced, and just picked up everything technically and scheme wise super quick — (he’s) seen it all,” Galko said. “And during practices, just (seeing) how natural his arm talent is. From off-platform stuff to layering throws, he’s got a real loose, natural throwing style that allows him to adjust really easily.”

Plummer, listed a 6-foot-4 and 216 pounds, grew up watching Dalton from a young age, and he hopes to learn from the longtime NFL signal-caller in Carolina. Dalton’s perspective could help Plummer as he looks to carve out a career at the next level.

“I’m definitely excited to be in the same room as Andy,” Plummer said. “I remember me being a kid — maybe 6th or 7th grade — watching Andy start games (for the Cincinnati Bengals). So, I’m definitely going to be — if he’s willing to help me — I definitely want to pick his brain at all times.”

Plummer will need to perform well during training camp and the preseason to earn a spot on the Panthers’ 53-man roster. Head coach Dave Canales has previously mentioned wanting an experienced third quarterback on the practice squad, but Plummer’s performance could potentially change those plans.

If Plummer delivers this summer and beyond, he could eventually become Dalton’s successor behind Young.

“I’m going to try to beat you with my arm and beat you with my mind, really, in the pocket, and have a good understanding of what the offense is and we’re trying to do,” Plummer said about his approach to the quarterback position. “And then spend that time in the film room, understanding what the defense is trying to do and weaknesses they may have. Be able to really exploit those, and be able to get the ball out of my hand quick and on time and accurately.”

Panthers’ draft class

▪ First round, 32nd overall pick: Xavier Legette, WR, South Carolina

▪ Second round, 46th overall pick: Jonathon Brooks, RB, Texas

▪ Third round, 72nd overall pick: Trevin Wallace, LB, Kentucky

▪ Fourth round, 101st overall: Ja’Tavion Sanders, TE, Texas

▪ Fifth round, 157th overall: Chau Smith-Wade, CB, Washington State

▪ Sixth round, 200th overall: Jaden Crumedy, DL, Mississippi State

▪ Seventh round, 240th overall: Michael Barrett, LB, Michigan

Pre-rookie camp mailbag: The center of confusion

Reece asks: The center position…. I’ve heard and heard how they love (Austin) Corbett there but it’s not at least mildly concerning that they don’t have a single natural center on the team?

Mike Kaye: Color me skeptical as well, Reece.

The company line has basically been “Corbett has been training his entire career for center and has been practicing as a center throughout his time at guard.”

That sentiment reminds me of a line from the movie “The Social Network,” where a fictional version of Mark Zuckerberg (played by Jesse Eisenberg) protests claims by the fictional versions of the Winklevoss twins about their involvement in the invention of Facebook. Movie Zuckerberg says, “If you guys were the inventors of Facebook, you’d have invented Facebook.”

The connection? Essentially, if Corbett was such a great center, he would have been used as a starting center earlier in his career, in theory.

Corbett is a sharp football player with excellent communication skills and leadership ability, and one could argue he was the best offensive player on the team in 2022. But he’s also coming off back-to-back knee injuries and hasn’t played the center position regularly in games.

After investing so heavily in the two guard spots with massive deals handed out to Robert Hunt and Damien Lewis, one would think the Panthers wouldn’t just go out on a limb for a center experiment of sorts.

That said, a late-round rookie center, no matter how “natural” they may be at the position, isn’t necessarily a better gamble to make.

They passed on a pair of very good centers in West Virginia’s Zach Frazier and Oregon’s Jackson Powers-Johnson when they traded back from No. 39 to acquire a haul from the Los Angeles Rams. No one should question that trade back, as it was perhaps the best move made all weekend from a value standpoint. But the reality is that once those two centers were passed on, the rest of the group were less likely to be plug-and-play options.

The Panthers ultimately got their insurance through undrafted free agency, reportedly agreeing to a deal with Oklahoma lineman Andrew Raym.

GM Dan Morgan has also said that former starting left guard Brady Christensen has been taking snaps at center as well. A competition between two former starting guards at center seems likely, with Corbett having a major leg up. But obviously that outlook is not all that reassuring.

One could argue the Panthers shouldn’t have paid two guards in free agency, and instead signed Lewis or Hunt and added a center on the open market to allow Corbett and/or Christensen to remain at guard, where both have played the past two years in Carolina.

Jonathan Mingo’s outlook in Carolina

Vedant asks: Assuming Adam Thielen takes over the slot with Dionate Johnson on one of the outside spots, what type of role would you imagine Xavier Legette and Jonathan Mingo having?

While Johnson told reporters ahead of the draft that he was going to be the “X” receiver in Carolina, that positioning might have been a tad premature. With Legette on the roster, Johnson makes a lot more sense at the “Z” spot, though Canales has said multiple times that he wants his receivers to be versatile and play all three spots.

Thielen, obviously, will man the slot quite regularly, though I expect him to get snaps at “Z” in heavy tight end or running back formations. Johnson can and probably will play all three spots and be the most targeted receiver on the team.

From there, Legette should see regular targets on the outside, whether at “X” or “Z.” He has the speed to be utilized as a flanker, and the size to take on press at the line. His usage will likely be based on the concepts of each play.

So, Mingo, last year’s No. 39 pick, has a bit of a murky setup. He’s probably going to have to earn the right to take away snaps from Johnson and Legette on the outside. He could be used as a slot presence to spell the aging Thielen, but that might not be plausible if the Panthers prefer fourth-round pick Ja’Tavion Sanders as more of a big slot receiver, as opposed to his college position of tight end.

The Panthers needed depth at wideout, so I’m not sure moving on from Mingo would make a whole lot of sense. Injuries happen, and the Panthers will be one hit away from the No. 4 receiver becoming their No. 3 receiver.

Mingo has some talent, despite the brutal returns on his rookie season. With a clean slate on the offensive coaching staff, the Panthers should try to find him a role in their system. That said, it’s hard to nail down what that role will be from the outside looking in.

Wants over needs?

Chuck asks: It seems like they doubled up on positions that were at least solid when needs were available (i.e. RB). But they ignored positions of real need (i.e. CB, C, S). What am I missing?

First off, it’s hard to argue safety as a need, given the arrivals of Jordan Fuller and Nick Scott and the re-signing of Sam Franklin in the wake of Vonn Bell’s release. But the secondary surely needed some reinforcements during draft weekend.

The Panthers addressed cornerback in the fifth round with Chau Smith-Wade, who has some versatility at the position. Look for Smith-Wade to compete for the primary backup job at nickel and one of the depth outside gigs at corner this summer. Obviously, a fifth-round pick isn’t going to bring on confidence from a starting standpoint. The Panthers had multiple chances to potentially upgrade the position on Day 2 and passed in favor of running back and linebacker.

They are expected to add undrafted cornerback Willie Drew to the mix, and he had some solid pre-draft buzz. But they are likely to look at the free-agent market for additional corner help.

Center was touched on earlier, but again, I think that’s a valid criticism.

Wide receiver and linebacker were both short-term and long-term needs. Running back was a long-term need that was impacted by short-term concerns.

At wideout and linebacker, the Panthers had solid first-team groups but little to no proven depth. Legette and Wallace made sense at their respective draft positions and should upgrade their respective groups. Brooks is a home-run hitter if healthy. Chuba Hubbard is entering the final year of his contract and is more of a possession back. Miles Sanders hasn’t lived up to his contract and is coming off a terrible first year in Carolina.

While fans wanted more home-run hitters at the receiver position, Brooks — in theory — makes the offense significantly more dynamic. As the Panthers’ brass stated, the draft wasn’t all about Bryce Young and the passing game. Brooks is dynamic is both offensive avenues of attack, and thus, makes the offense as a whole unit better on paper.

Drafting for need is tricky and can be treacherous. The Panthers, if they simply leaned on their evaluation board, simply took a different approach than the obvious hole-filling of the roster. Only time will tell if that was the right strategy.