Panthers offense breakdown: Bryce Young-Jonathan Mingo duo shines in Jets practice

Bryce Young’s best throw of the day arguably came in his third 11-on-11 series — when he stepped up into a collapsing pocket and found a receiver who has been quietly establishing himself during camp.

That receiver?

Jonathan Mingo.

The Young-Mingo duo came alive for the first meaningful time during the team’s first day of joint practices with the New York Jets on Wednesday. The two Panthers NFL draft picks connected four times during 11-on-11 work. That included Young’s first throw of the day, his aforementioned best throw of the day (a 20-plus-yard crossing pattern) — as well as a 15-yard catch over the middle during the team’s final hurry-up offensive series.

Thousands of fans at Wofford College had a front-row seat to the budding duo leaning on each other during Wednesday’s consequential reps. It was hard to miss.

Head coach Frank Reich noticed, too.

“I do agree that it was a meaningful day between them,” Reich told reporters. “You know, Mingo has looked good the whole time. But in recent days, the ball just hasn’t gone his way a bunch. So it was good to get him back involved. It just gets you confidence, and for a young receiver, that’s really important.”

Young finished Wednesday a poised 14-of-22 with an interception, and even a few of those incompletions came when he was trying to fit the ball to Mingo in tight windows.

Young didn’t say that this was Mingo’s “best” day of training camp thus far, but the progress they made together Wednesday was substantial.

“I think Mingo did a great job today, but that’s not something that’s surprising,” said Young, who has done an admirable job spreading the ball around this training camp. “He’s been really consistent. We’ve both been rookies coming in. We’re both growing together, and you see him getting more comfortable and doing a lot of good things.”

Other big moments from Young’s day:

The Panthers’ rookie quarterback targeted DJ Chark a few times, as he has all camp. The most memorable one, though, came in a throw down the right sideline: Young seemed to get the ball out a little late, and Jets defensive back Brandin Echols hit Chark right as the ball got to him, jarred the ball loose in the air and snagged it for what would’ve been a pick-six.

Young also made a few nifty moves evading defenders in the pocket. One resulted in a big run-and-catch from tight end Tommy Tremble. And another resulted in him doing a bit of an Aaron Rodgers impression — a little dance in the pocket, not setting his feet and still firing a sidearm strike over the middle to Shi Smith.

Aaron Rodgers, Jets coach praise Bryce Young

Speaking of Rodgers: Young shared the quarterback spotlight with the A-list NFL star Wednesday. And that spotlight was bright.

The two quarterbacks met before practice and exchanged a smiley interaction. Rodgers and Young both have the same agent, Rodgers said after practice, and the four-time MVP wanted to meet to tell him how “big of a fan” he was of Young.

The two certainly charted different paths to becoming NFL starters. Rodgers fell to the 25th pick in the 2005 draft and sat behind Green Bay Packers legend Brett Favre for three years before getting his shot. He delivered a Super Bowl in 2011 and furnished one of the most fun offenses in the league. Young, of course, was drafted No. 1 overall and was named QB1 the second training camp practice.

Said the newly minted Jets signal-caller: “I trust a guy like (Panthers wide receiver) Adam (Thielen). He and I have been friends for a long time. And he just raves about him. So I think Carolina is in good hands.”

Rodgers wasn’t the only Jets representative to praise Young on Wednesday. Jets head coach Robert Saleh called Young “an unbelievable point guard.”

Hayden Hurst starts first practice skirmish: A ‘pride’ thing

No doubt Wednesday started chippy. While there wasn’t a full-blown fight — Reich has made it abundantly clear that he’s not interested in manufactured machismo earlier this camp — there were several skirmishes.

The earliest one came in the first session of 11-on-11 drills between the Panthers’ starting offense and the Jets’ starting defense, and it involved new tight end Hayden Hurst.

The veteran going into his sixth NFL season — and who has seemed to separate himself as the top tight end this training camp — explained what happened during the skirmish.

“The play before, I was cutting off the backside C gap, and he ran me into the pile a little bit,” Hurst said. “It’s more just a pride thing. Whenever I got my jersey on with my last name and everything else like that, I take it personal.”

Quick hits: Andy Dalton is solid, too

▪ Andy Dalton was what Carolina will need him to be. For as collected as Young was Wednesday, his backup was equally solid, too — airing the ball out and getting involved a second string of receivers fighting for their chances of making the 53-man roster come the fall. Dalton’s best throw of the day fell to reserve tight end Stephen Sullivan and likely would’ve gone for a touchdown.

▪ The offensive line started strong against a formidable Jets front. Part of Young’s poise came because his offensive line gave him time. Toward the end of practice, however, Young had to take a few sacks (he didn’t actually get hit). All of the Panthers’ projected offensive linemen — including fresh-off-the-Physically Unable to Perform list, rookie Chandler Zavala — played Wednesday.

▪ Our first look at newly signed kicker Matthew Wright. Wright went 1-for-2 on field goals Wednesday, punctuating the Panthers’ hurry-up drives at the conclusion of practice. Wright was signed Tuesday while Eddy Piñeiro continues his recovery from a groin injury.

▪ A fun end to Wednesday’s press conferences. Among the best moments: Reich said he wanted his rookie quarterback to attack a defense like “Steph Curry” does — basketball got a strange amount of references Wednesday. Another fun moment came when Brian Burns acted like a reporter in the crowd and asked his rookie quarterback a question.

Burns asked Young what it was like “playing with a guy like Brian Burns.” Young smiled and playfully answered that his team is really tight-knit but that they’re one person away — one superhero away, perhaps — from achieving all of their wildest dreams. Burns asked a follow up; Young dismissed it.