Long road prepared Derek Wright to catch NFL dream

PHOTO | CAROLINA PANTHERS

Receiver Derek Wright is chasing his NFL dream with the Carolina Panthers after spending the 2022 season on the practice squad.

On the day the Carolina Panthers unveiled Bryce Young as the team’s preseason QB1, backup Andy Dalton led receiver Derek Wright a bit too much on a crossing route during an organized team activity drill.

Wright reached up with his right arm while undrafted rookie cornerback Mark Milton defended the pass, turning the receiver around and sending him hard onto the practice field grass behind Bank of America Stadium.  

“I should have had it,” Wright said, grinning.

A second chance with Panthers  

Following the incompletion, Wright rose slowly off the field and went directly to the sideline to get checked out by a trainer. The team physician put Wright’s right arm through a range of motions and then played catch.

“It’s OK,” Wright said.

Was it? Wright was sideline during mandatory minicamp with an undisclosed injury. A team spokesman said he should be healed in time for training camp.

Wright spent 2022 – his rookie season – on the Panthers practice squad. The former walk-on at Snow (Utah) College and Utah State valued the experience. He was confident he could handle the hard road.  

“Coming out here and competing against our defense, top-caliber players every single day, I was getting better,” Wright said. “I was happy how last year went and happy they gave me an opportunity to come back.”  

Through rookie mini-camp and OTAs, Wright appears to be working his way up the depth chart. On Thursday, he worked behind veteran free-agent signee Adam Thielen and second-round draft pick Jonathan Mingo. Wright, 24, refuses to get caught up in the numbers game. Not yet anyway.  

“It’s still kind of fluid,” he said. I’m not really looking into any of that.”  

The undrafted free agent continues waiting for his next chance “when they call my number to get out there,” he said.  

As a senior at Utah State in 2021, Wright earned All-Mountain West honorable mention honors after breaking out with 48 receptions for 789 yards and 11 touchdowns. It was just his second season as a scholarship player.  

“Being a (junior college) walk-on at Snow College and Utah State has prepared me for this situation,” he said. “I kind of looked at being an undrafted free agent as similar to being a preferred walk-on, if you will, at the college level.

“I felt pretty comfortable in that role last year. I had already done it twice. That journey has prepared me for where I’m at right now.”

D.J. Chark: Wright’s ‘ballin’

Veteran receiver D.J. Chark, an offseason free agent acquisition, summarized his first impression of Wright.

“He’s ballin’, man,” Chark said. “Big-time player. Can’t wait to continue to watch him play.”

Thielen, Chark, Mingo and Terrace Marshall Jr. likely will enter training camp as the Panthers’ top four receivers. Wright, along with Lavishka Shenault Jr., Shi Smith and Marquez Stevenson, are attempting to forge rotational roles.

“We’re deep,” Wright said of the wide receiver room. “That’s a good problem to have. I like the depth right now.”

While Frank Reich stopped short of calling Young the Week 1 starter at Atlanta, the Panthers’ first-year coach acknowledged the rookie will continue to handle first-team responsibilities through the remainder of OTAs and into training camp.

“He’s showing everything you want to see,” Reich said. “You don’t have to make a decision until you have to make it, right? We’ll just keep giving him the opportunity to get better and earn that starting role.”

To Wright, Young is earning that distinction.  

“I think he’s going great,” he said. “I was out here with him during rookie minicamp, and I think he has a really good grasp of the offense. His arm talent speaks for itself.”

On consecutive drills on June 1, Young scrambled from the non-contact pass rush and delivered an improvised sideline throw to Wright, who made a diving catch. Then, on the next series, Wright, who is 6-1, 194 pounds, worked his way open and Young found him in the back of the end zone for a touchdown.  

“He’s looked good,” Reich said of Wright. “I’m excited ... really the whole group has looked good. Experience tells me you love to see guys look good in OTAs, but you’ve really got to wait until you get to training camp before you can get too excited.  

“The players know that. The coaches know that. You temper your enthusiasm this time of year. Just understand we have a long way to go.” 

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