The Carolina Panthers have come a long way from the mess they were in 2023, when they were sitting at the bottom of the league with just two wins and what was widely viewed as the NFL’s worst roster.
Fast forward to 2025, and the turnaround is real enough to point to: an NFC South title, plus the work of general manager Dan Morgan and head coach Dave Canales in getting this group to where it is now. But ESPN’s annual positional rankings from Mike Clay make it clear the Panthers are still carrying plenty of baggage as they head into the 2026 NFL season.
The overall picture is not flattering. Carolina landed 29th overall, and several individual groups were tagged with similarly rough placements:
Quarterback: 23rd
Running back: 30th
Wide receiver: 23rd
Tight end: 26th
Offensive line: 22nd
Interior defensive line: 8th
Edge rusher: 28th
Linebacker: 20th
Cornerback: 14th
Safety: 20th
The offensive line ranking may be the hardest one to take. Carolina is spending nearly $30 million more than any other team at the position this year, yet ESPN still has the unit sitting well below average. Injuries to left tackle Ikem Ekwonu and right tackle Taylor Moton certainly don’t help, but even with that caveat, a ranking outside the top 15 stings.
The receiver and edge-rusher spots are a different kind of problem. Those are two areas the Panthers have already poured real resources into, and the results are still grim. There’s no fixing the season-ending knee injuries to second-year outside linebacker Nic Scourton and rookie wideout Chris Brazzell II, but the ranking is still a harsh reflection of how much draft capital and free-agent money has gone into those groups.
Carolina used two of its last three first-round picks on wideouts, taking Xavier Legette in 2024 and Tetairoa McMillan in 2025. The team also made this offseason’s biggest free-agent splash by signing outside linebacker Jaelan Phillips to a four-year, $120 million deal.
For now, Morgan’s job is simple: keep swinging and hope a few more of those darts land.
In Other News...
Panthers Roster Crunch Just Got Tougher Than Fans Expected
The Panthers are reaching the part of camp where the margins start to matter, and a few undrafted players have forced their way into the conversation as roster decisions tighten. Haynes King, Albert Reese IV, Aaron Hall, DeVonta Smith and Ja'seem Reed are all under consideration for the final 53-man roster, a reflection of how much Carolina has needed to mine every bit of preseason value while sorting through injuries and uncertainty.
Depth at tackle and cornerback has become a particular concern, which only raises the stakes for these evaluations as the season draws closer. With the quarterback spot still unsettled and several roster spots left open, Carolina is in the middle of one of those late-summer stretches where performance in exhibition games can change a players outlook in a hurry. [Read more 🡒]
Panthers Suddenly Need Princely Umanmielen To Become Their Breakout Pass Rusher
Nic Scourtons torn ACL in training camp changed the Panthers edge-rushing picture in a hurry, and it put a lot more weight on Princely Umanmielen than anyone likely expected a few weeks ago. What had looked like a rotational role now comes with a much bigger spotlight, especially with Carolina needing someone on the outside to consistently threaten opposing quarterbacks.
Umanmielen has given the Panthers reasons to believe he can handle more than a small package of snaps. He has stood out in the preseason, drawing attention from fans, teammates and Pro Football Focus, and Jaelan Phillips has gone as far as to call him the teams best pass rusher. For a defense suddenly looking for a breakout edge presence, that kind of momentum matters. [Read more 🡒]
Panthers Linebacker Battle May Not Be Over Yet
The Panthers have spent the offseason trying to keep a defense that took a step forward last year moving in the right direction, adding edge rusher Jaelan Phillips and linebacker Devin Lloyd to the mix. Even with those moves, the competition at linebacker has remained one of the more interesting camp storylines, with Trevin Wallace and Claudin Cherelus battling for a starting spot next to Lloyd, who has not yet taken the field.
And the position still may not be settled by the time roster cuts arrive on Aug. 30. Carolina could still look to the veteran market if it wants more certainty in the middle of the defense, with Bobby Wagner, Kenneth Murray and Bobby Okereke among the names on the radar. However the Panthers choose to handle it, the linebacker room remains a spot worth watching as the final decisions get closer. [Read more 🡒]