The Sports Xchange

CHARLOTTE — The Carolina Panthers’ top pick will have to work his way up from the bottom.

Shaq Thompson went through individual drills on Thursday as the last linebacker in line during what was only his second practice with the entire roster.

But it’s not like he didn’t have a good excuse for missing the first eight OTA sessions.

“I had to put school first,” he said Thursday, two days after finishing his third year in college.

And it’s not like Thompson could have done anything different. An NFL rule prohibits rookies from participating in OTAs until their school’s academic calendar is complete.

The University of Washington, which is on the quarter system, didn’t wrap up until this week. So Thompson spent the past month in Seattle focusing on three classes before prepping for his new job.

“It was difficult because there were times when I wanted to put the playbook first, but I couldn’t,” Thompson said. “I had to get essays out of the way, study for finals, and put as much studying in the playbook as I could.”

As he churned through papers for a couple African American Studies classes and a music class, Thompson’s main teacher back in Charlotte was Panthers linebacker coach Al Holcomb.

Holcomb would send what the defense was installing to Thompson’s iPad, and they would talk it through over the phone.

“He’s been studying since he’s been away,” said assistant head coach Steve Wilks, who filled in for Ron Rivera on Thursday. “The guy is very smart, but it’s going to take some time for him to catch up a little bit.

“Coach Holcomb is working extra with him in the afternoon as well as in the morning, trying to get him up to speed. You can see his athleticism out there, the way he’s flying around. He’s going to make a lot of plays for us this year.”

–Before quarterback Cam Newton began goal-line drills with his receivers, he glanced to his left. There Kelvin Benjamin stood side-by-side with Devin Funchess. It must have been a soothing sight for Newton.

The Panthers hope it will be a scary one for opposing defensive backs for many years to come.

Benjamin, who destroyed Panthers’ rookie receiving records in 2014, is only 24. Funchess, Carolina’s second-round pick, turned 21 last month.

“He’s a young player, he’s still learning,” Benjamin said. “I’m still young, I’m still learning. We’re very big receivers for Cam.”

At 6-foot-5, Benjamin is slightly taller than Funchess. Some NFL scouts pegged the rookie as a potential tight end, but Benjamin has a body better suited for that idea.

Benjamin is wider and more muscular, with a bigger catch radius. Funchess is more fluid and has a certain finesse when he makes a catch. Perhaps too much.

“He’s big, but we played at different schools, so we were taught different things,” Benjamin said. “He can learn from me, though. I’m trying to make him more physical so he can be a big, physical receiver. You know, use his size.”

Benjamin, who missed the first seven OTAs because of a strained hamstring, was limited after returning Tuesday. He expects to do more during next week’s minicamp.

“It’s coming along good,” Benjamin said. “We’re still taking our time with it; we don’t want to rush. We’re getting there. Hopefully, next week.”