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Before we start, let's put our cards out on the table: I don't know if Panthers rookie wide receiver Devin Funchess is any good.

Funchess seems like the definition of a project coming out of college, with impressive physical abilities and production and game tape that leaves much to be desired. As much as his measurables impress, his game tape and scouting reports underwhelm. After noting his considerable athletic gifts, from his excellent size to his impressive leaping ability and athleticism, CBSSports.com's Dane Brugler had this to say about Funchess' weaknesses in his pre-draft scouting report:

Very lean-muscled and lacks ideal bulk or sand. Room to get stronger to better beat press and match up with physical man defenders.

Too many drops off his hands on his resume and needs to be more reliable with his focus through the catch. Hand technique needs work, often caught with his hands turned the wrong way downfield.

Not a reliable finisher in contested situations. Tends to think too much about post-catch and will take his eyes off the ball before securing. Shows laziness in his routes and needs to sell patterns with more consistency. Inconsistent vision after the catch, struggling to leverage the field or read his blocks.

Doesn't consistently play up to his size as a ballcarrier and will brace himself for contact, not powering over smaller bodies. Effort is there as a blocker, but often caught off balance with erratic technique. Suffered ankle injury in Sept. 2014 and was hampered the rest of the season.

If you want to make the argument that Funchess can't play at all, I'm not going to argue. There are clearly skills there, but there are also clearly reasons why all but two teams passed on him at least once in the draft, so I'm not going to argue that he's some kind of stud.

This isn't really about whether Funchess is any good, anyways. As far as I'm concerned, it might as well be irrelevant. When looking at his potential Fantasy appeal this season, it might not matter.In the wake of Kelvin Benjamin's season-ending knee injury, that isn't as crazy as it sounds. Here's why, from Dane Brugler again:

COMPARES TO: Kelvin Benjamin, Carolina Panthers - Like Benjamin, Funchess has the size and athleticism to create mismatches, especially in the red zone and on third downs, but inconsistencies could keep both from reaching their top potential.

Benjamin had a much more impressive collegiate career than Funchess, but had some very similar concerns coming out of college. He was an inconsistent route runner who struggled catching the ball in college, and his "weaknesses" section on the scouting report looks an awful lot like Funchess'. I don't need to tell Fantasy owners how good Benjamin was as a rookie, but here's a reminder:

73 catches, 1,008 yards, nine touchdowns; Finished No. 17 among wide receivers in Fantasy

Benjamin was one of 10 rookie receivers ever to have at least 1,000 receiving yards and nine touchdowns, and one of just three in the last 15 years. For Fantasy owners, he was one of the best values in the league on Draft Day last season, and it might be hard to see how Funchess could come into the league and replicate that kind of production based on his inconsistent collegiate track record.

However, when you dig into the numbers a bit, what Benjamin did last season looks a lot more replaceable. Benjamin's 73 receptions, for instance, don't look so impressive when you factor in that he needed 145 targets to rack them up. He was the sixth-most targeted wide receiver in football last season, but caught just 50.3 percent of them; among 196 receivers with at least 140 targets in a season since 1998, that is the 21st-lowest catch percentage.

Now, in fairness, Benjamin did an inordinate amount of deep route running, with a whopping 40 passes thrown to him beyond 20 yards, the highest number in football according to ProFootballFocus.com. You would expect him to have a lower catch rate overall. What is concerning is that, even among the 34 players with at least 20 deep targets, Benjamin had the seventh-lowest catch rate.

Benjamin just wasn't a particularly efficient receiver last season. And, though efficiency isn't exactly synonymous with talent, it's a pretty good marker. Here's the top-10 in yards per route last season, per ProFootballFocus.com:

1. A.J. Green, 3.16 YPR
2. Dez Bryant, 2.76 YPR
3. Demaryius Thomas , 2.75 YPR
4. Antonio Brown, 2.75 YPR
5. Odell Beckham Jr., 2.74 YPR
6. Julio Jones, 2.72 YPR
7. Jordy Nelson, 2.54 YPR
8. Emmanuel Sanders, 2.51 YPR
9. T.Y. Hilton, 2.32 YPR
10. Calvin Johnson, 2.30 YPR

That looks an awful lot like a list of the best receivers in the league, no? And where did Kelvin rank? Among players with at least 100 targets, he came in 22nd out of 38 at 1.86 YPR. Not bad, but closer to the bottom than the top. And certainly not an elite number that makes him stand out. Benjamin had a really tough job last season, with very little help around him as a rookie, but it is worth noting how pedestrian he looked in so many ways once you factor in volume.

Even in the red zone, Benjamin wasn't great; among 83 players with at least 10 red zone targets, his 30 percent catch rate (6 for 20) was the second worst.

My point? Kelvin Benjamin wasn't as good as his raw numbers indicate.

He had to be pretty good to be such a focal point for the Panthers, but that's all relative. He only had to be better than the likes of Jerricho Cotchery, Jason Avant and Philly Brown. Funchess' competition isn't much better this season, so the bar is similarly low.

Maybe Funchess won't clear that bar. That is entirely possible, because most rookie wide receivers have a relatively rough go of things in their first season. However, we have a blueprint for how Funchess can get to Fantasy relevance, based on what Benjamin did last season. Benjamin's success was mostly based on the rather insane volume of passes he saw come his way, rather than his own talent level.

Even if you don't think Funchess is very good, it's hard to argue he isn't worth drafting, and probably as one of the first few rookie receivers off the board at this point. He might not be as talented as some of his peers, eight of whom went ahead of him in last June's draft. However, he has a better opportunity staring him in the face than just about anyone.

Amari Cooper should still definitely go ahead of Funchess, as the Raiders' receiver corps might be as barren as Carolina's. He was the top receiver off the board and has a huge opportunity to succeed. Beyond that? Breshad Perriman (104 ADP) has a similar opportunity in Baltimore, and Nelson Agholor (88 ADP) figures to play a pretty big role for Philadelphia as well. Shouldn't Funchess come somewhere after them?

Funchess has a better opportunity than DeVante Parker (168 ADP), Dorial Green-Beckham (192 ADP) and Phillip Dorsett (193 ADP), even if he doesn't have as much talent. If you could grab him in the 110 range, after Perriman, there's enough upside with Funchess to make him well worth the gamble there.

Cam Newton's lack of weapons worked out in Fantasy owners' favors last season if they gambled on Benjamin. Why can't the same thing happen with Funchess?