Carolina Panthers

Projected Cap Space: $9.5 million

Draft Picks: 8

• 1st (No. 19)
• 2nd (No. 51)
• 3rd (No. 83)
• 4th (No. 119)
• 5th (No. 156, MIN)
• 5th (No. 157)
• 6th (No. 198)
• 7th (No. 235)

Notable Free Agents: 

• RB Rico Dowdle
• C Cade Mays
• LB Christian Rozeboom
• S Nick Scott
• OLB D.J. Wonnum
• OL Brady Christensen
• OL Austin Corbett
• OT Yosh Nijman
• P Sam Martin
• DE Trevis Gipson
• LB Claudin Cherelus (RFA)
• LB Isaiah Simmons

Top Three Needs

1 – Edge Rusher

Carolina’s surprise playoff appearance was largely fueled by a big jump forward from the defense, going from one of the worst units in NFL history in 2024 (literally, they set a new record for points allowed), to right around league average in 2025. They were better against the pass than the run, ranking seventh in the league with 20 passing touchdowns allowed. Top corner Jaycee Horn was named to the Pro Bowl and his counterpart, Michael Jackson, led the NFL with 19 pass deflections. 

The Panthers did all of this despite ranking 31st in the NFL in pressure rate and notching only 30 sacks on the season. Nose tackle Derrick Brown and second-round OLB Nic Scourton tied for the team lead with five apiece. Bringing significantly more juice to this part of the defense has to be the top priority for Carolina this offseason. 

Scourton projects as a quality starter going forward, and time will tell what his true pass-rush ceiling is. The Panthers double-dipped on Day 2 of the draft last year with him and OLB Princely Umanmielen, who played less than a quarter of the snaps. It would not be shocking to see the Panthers take another aggressive approach, using one of their top picks on another edge rusher while targeting a big move in free agency. Wonnum probably won’t be back and the team could also cut veteran Patrick Jones after he had minimal impact due to injury. 

2 – Linebacker

Panthers DC Ejiro Evero learned under Eagles DC Vic Fangio, who runs one of the most popular and effective defensive schemes in the league right now. It’s built to keep a lid on offenses and take away the explosive play, rallying forward against the run and shorter passes while trying to take advantage of turnover opportunities that come up more on longer drives. When allocating resources, the defensive line and cornerback groups tend to be prioritized more than linebackers. 

But a great linebacker group can be the finishing piece to take a defense in this scheme over the top. Last year, opponents had most of their success when they attacked the linebackers in the middle of the field, testing their range with play action and horizontal concepts. Injuries limited Trevin Wallace from taking a step forward and Christian Rozeboom was pressed into a big role after the loss of Josey Jewell to concussion symptoms.

Rozeboom was solid all things considered and the team is going to leave the light on for Wallace. But the Panthers are starved for a leader and dynamic playmaker in the middle of their defense. The organization has a long and proud history of difference-making linebackers — from Luke Kuechly who just joined former Panther Sam Mills in the Hall of Fame, to guys like Thomas Davis, Jon Beason and Dan Morgan, the current GM. It’s time to find the next one.  

3 – Tackle

There are a slew of other holes for the Panthers to consider, as despite the postseason berth, the fact remains they were an 8-9 squad that probably overachieved considering their -67 scoring differential. They could use a shifty slot receiver to add a different dynamic to a young, budding receiving group, and the secondary could benefit from a rangy post safety or a dynamic playmaking nickel defender. 

But the identity of this team is on the line of scrimmage, and the Panthers want to be a punishing offense that routes everything through its front five. Keeping that strength strong is paramount, and there’s cause for concern on the edges. Right tackle Taylor Moton will be going into his ninth-straight season as a starter and has been a rock, but at 32 years old in August, it would not be a bad thing to start thinking about a successor.

On the left side, former first-round LT Ikem Ekwonu has progressed steadily but a torn patellar tendon in the playoff loss to the Rams makes for a turbulent projection ahead of a contract year. It’s a gnarly injury, especially for a big man. Ekwonu probably won’t be ready for Week 1 and it might be the second half of the season before he makes his return — if at all. 

That leaves the Panthers with both short and long-term considerations at tackle, which will also likely promote a two-pronged approach. It’s also worth noting Morgan hasn’t drafted an offensive lineman since ascending to GM (the Panthers were able to re-sign their entire depth chart last offseason, a rare feat that paid off when the injury bug bit them harder in 2025). Expect for that to change. 

One Big Question

Can the Panthers make another leap? 

Since owner Dave Tepper assumed control of the team in 2018 (a fact that’s not lost on the fanbase), the Panthers have fallen on hard times. They’re near the bottom of the league in wins under Tepper and have had multiple high-profile failures. Slowly, though, the tide seems to be turning. Panthers HC Dave Canales is a relentlessly positive leader, and he and Morgan are leaning on their shared experience with the 2010s Seahawks to try and create a similar culture in Carolina. 

In his first year, Canales benched former No. 1 pick Bryce Young after just two games, only for Young to re-enter the lineup and play dramatically better, earning another year as the starter. This year, it wasn’t always linear, but by the end of the season Young had seemed to take another small step forward, helping the Panthers to their first home playoff game since the 2015 NFC Championship. 

Morgan, Canales and Young deserve credit for helping the Panthers go from awful to average. It’s a big leap. However, the next step is making another equal-sized leap to go from average to good, and beyond that to great. The NFL is designed to pull teams to the middle, good or bad. Calling last season the easy part for the Panthers ignores the struggles of teams that spend years trying to make that leap without success, but it’s the truth compared to what comes next.

Improvement, through the draft, free agency or trades, will be harder to come by, yet no less improvement. More will be put on Young, who has earned another year to lead the team but nothing beyond that. The Panthers will either rise to the challenge like they did in 2025, or regress and go back to the drawing board.