Newton thanked Rivera after Panthers selected Moore
Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton was quick to share his appreciation for his team's decision to select wide receiver D.J. Moore with the No. 24 pick Thursday night.
Related: Panthers get Newton a top weapon in D.J. Moore
Newton shared a simple "Thank you," with head coach Ron Rivera after the team's pick, according to team insider Bryan Strickland.
"It was cool to see him react the way he did," said Rivera. "We had a great time going through this process. Cam was just constantly needling us. ... Cam stays up on all this stuff, and he came to us with all the offensive guys."
Only two wide receivers caught more than 17 passes for the Panthers last season. Kelvin Benjamin, who posted 32 receptions for 475 yards and two touchdowns through the first eight weeks, was shipped to the Buffalo Bills near the trade deadline.
Running back Christian McCaffrey led the team with 80 receptions, while backup tight end Ed Dickson hauled in 30 passes. Devin Funchess will return for 2018 as last year's top performer from the positional group with 63 catches for 840 yards and eight touchdowns, while veteran Torrey Smith was acquired this offseason in a trade with the Philadelphia Eagles.
Moore will be expected to help Newton improve on what was a full-season career low of 3,302 passing yards in 2017.