CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- There are a lot of big hitters across town at the PGA Championship that begins Thursday at Quail Hollow Club.

But the word "big" should be used only with Carolina Panthers wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin moving forward in the sense he is 6-foot-5.

Not overweight as was the case during offseason workouts when there were reports he was in the 260- to 270-pound range instead of his current 243.

Benjamin showed that Wednesday night with a leaping, twisting 23-yard touchdown catch in the first quarter of Carolina's preseason opener against Houston.

Here are other observations from the 27-17 victory at Bank of America Stadium:

QB depth chart: The good news as starter Cam Newton rehabs his surgically repaired shoulder -- he hasn't practiced in a week and a half -- is Derek Anderson. Few teams have a better backup situation than Carolina, and Anderson showed why with the touchdown pass to Benjamin on his second series. Anderson finished an efficient 4-for-5 passing for 76 yards and a touchdown. He has command of this evolving offense. This should lessen the concern if Newton misses time to start the regular season. Joe Webb didn't look bad, either, throwing two touchdown passes, including a 50-yarder to Damiere Byrd.

When it was starters versus starters, the Panthers looked …: The first-team defense, particularly the front four, was dominant with two three-and-outs. And this without starting ends Julius Peppers and Charles Johnson. This group had a sack and a couple of quarterback pressures. The first-team offense got big plays from the usual suspects, tight end Greg Olsen and Benjamin. Olsen had a 32-yard catch down the middle to start the second series and Benjamin finished it off with that acrobatic touchdown catch.

One reason to be concerned: Second-year defensive tackle Vernon Butler left in the first half with a left knee injury. He appeared able to put good weight on it before being taken to the locker room. But Butler is key to Carolina's four-man rotation at tackle, particularly with veteran Kyle Love out much of training camp. There were gaping holes once Butler left and the Panthers were down to their fifth and sixth tackles. If the injury turns out to be more serious, this could be an issue.

That guy could start: Anderson is the obvious choice here. But one of the questions marks of camp has been a dependable backup left tackle should something happen to Matt Kalil. Amini Silatolu, who also plays guard, looked solid with the second group. He has looked good in practice working with the first team when Kalil has been out. He's starter caliber at guard, with 33 career starts from 2012 to 2015. He looks like he could be starter quality at tackle, too. Staying healthy is his main issue.

Rookie watch: Did you think we'd go without mentioning first-round pick Christian McCaffrey? He didn't make those wow plays that has earned so much praise in training camp. He had only one catch for no yards. He'll be used more as a receiver once the season gets started. He'll also be placed in more one-on-one situations in which he can use that juke that has made Carolina linebackers look silly. But he showed with 33 yards rushing on seven carries that he can be a physical runner inside as well as explosive once he gets to the edge.

Fly like a Byrd: Everyone knew Damiere Byrd was fast, arguably the fastest player on the team. He'll tell you that, too. But he's proving to be a playmaker, and the timing is good with a tight race for the final one or two wide receiver spots. The former University of South Carolina speedster had a 50-yard touchdown catch in the first half, and perhaps even more impressive was an 8-yard touchdown catch in the third quarter. More impressive because Byrd ran a good route and got open in the back of the end zone.

Speed kills: The Panthers made a conscious effort to improve the overall speed, particularly on offense, during the offseason. That was evident not only with McCaffrey and Byrd but lesser-known players such as wide receiver/punt returner Kaelin Clay. The third-year receiver out of Utah showed that with a 20-yard punt return. He also had an 11-yard catch. But the more the Panthers can stretch the field with speed, the more efficient they'll be offensively.