Carolina Panthers

Ron Rivera: Devin Funchess looking 'Kelvin-esque'

Published Nov. 24, 2015 8:09 p.m. ET

foxsports

Rookie wide receiver Devin Funchess has really upped his game as of late, and is starting to become one of the more reliable options in the passing game for Cam Newton.

After catching nine passes and two touchdowns over the past three games, it's obvious that his role is growing as well. One person who's particularly happy about Funchess' growth is head coach Ron Rivera, who, according to David Newton of ESPN, is even drawing comparisons to Kelvin Benjamin.

As Newton explains, Rivera was raving about Funchess' route-running abilities, which led to him calling the rookie receiver "Kelvin-esque."

"Cam Newton put the ball where he needed to, where [Funchess] just had to go up and get it -- and he did it," Rivera told ESPN. "He went up and got the ball a couple of times and really made some spectacular catches.

"The young man is progressing very nicely."

Rivera and many fans and players have to be thinking about the potential of pairing these two young receivers up. Obviously, that won't happen until next season, and the Panthers are poised to make a serious run this year, but hey, it has to at least cross your mind, right?