The Carolina Panthers, are ready to ramp up their game with new additions in the 2024 NFL Draft.
While they are not set to make any picks during the first round on Thursday, they have two early picks in the second round.
Expectations are high for a new wide receiver to join their team, stirring a mix of emotions among the current rank of receivers.
Panthers receivers getting ready for new additions to the group. https://t.co/7tjcuzVJFt
— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) April 25, 2024
Adam Thielen, who has a formidable career with the Panthers, is no stranger to seeing multiple first-round wideouts joining the team during his tenure.
Quoted from a recent interview on the team’s website, Thielen expressed his excitement over the prospect of guiding new recruits, helping them excel, and fostering a relationship that further fuels the team’s success.
“I really enjoy that part of the game. I love to help them where I need to help them,” Thielen said. “I think that’s the most important thing in anything you’re doing. It’s building those relationships first and then you can be a mentor. A lot of people want to be the mentor first and it’s like, no, no, just build a relationship, earn that trust and then be a mentor and then you can kind of speak life and football into someone when you have that relationship.”
Contrarily, rising star Ihmir Smith-Marsette had a different reaction. Smith-Marsette, who joined the team in 2021, has moved around the league in his initial seasons.
Smith found his place as both a receiver and a punt returner for the Panthers. His assertion paints a picture of someone struggling for recognition:
“I’m tired of getting people put in front of me, of course, I get annoyed at that.” But I mean, it’s just football at the end of the day and I’m going to show that I belong in this league again . . . it adds fuel to the fire cause it’s like, I got to go out there and prove myself.”
The excitement, expectations, and tension mount as the NFL Draft edges closer.
With two early picks in the second round, the Panthers are in a prime position to invigorate their lineup with youthful vigor that complements the experienced players.
