The Carolina Panthers’ run defense has gone from problem area to full-blown alarm bell again, and the timing couldn’t be worse.
Dave Canales’s team has already been steamrolled by the Bears, Falcons and Browns on the ground, and the numbers are ugly. Through three weeks, Carolina has surrendered an NFL-high 580 rushing yards, a 193.3-yard average, and six rushing touchdowns, which is tied for the most in the league. That comes after the Panthers made real progress last season, finishing 16th against the run at 123.3 yards allowed per game after ranking dead last two years ago.
The issue is especially concerning because the front office tried to address it. General manager Dan Morgan brought in 2025 Pro Bowl linebacker Devin Lloyd and used a second-round pick on defensive tackle Lee Hunter out of Texas Tech. So far, though, those moves haven’t stabilized Ejiro Evero’s defense.
Against Cleveland last week, the Browns ran for 132 yards in a 21-18 win. That was better than the 291 yards Chicago piled up in Week 1 and the 157 Atlanta produced in Week 2, but it still underscored how vulnerable Carolina has been. Todd Monken’s ground game had totaled just 131 rushing yards in its first two games before breaking through against the Panthers.
The interior defensive line has not helped enough either. According to Pro Football Focus, the Panthers’ group of Derrick Brown, Bobby Brown III, Hunter, Aaron Hall, TeRah Edwards and Cam Jackson has yet to separate itself against the run.
Hall and Derrick Brown have graded best in that area, but neither has truly taken over. Bobby Brown missed the Falcons game, while Jackson has played only 37 defensive snaps all season, all in that one appearance.
Now the challenge gets even steeper. Detroit comes to town with the league’s ninth-ranked rushing attack, led by Jahmyr Gibbs. He has already run for 307 yards and four touchdowns at 4.7 yards per carry, while adding 18 catches for 156 yards and two more scores.
With the Panthers needing immediate help, Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report pointed to Tennessee Titans veteran Solomon Thomas as a possible fit for Carolina and Green Bay. Knox said Thomas could be available for a conditional seventh-round pick next year. The 10-year veteran, acquired in March from the Dallas Cowboys via trade, has played only 54 defensive snaps this season.
“Thomas is set to be a free agent in 2027,” explained Knox, “and if he isn't going to see the field often in Tennessee, the Titans should look to cash him in. He has strong rotational value, as evidenced by the 27 tackles and three tackles for loss he recorded last season.”
That kind of depth is exactly what Carolina could use right now. The Panthers are already without cornerbacks Jaycee Horn and Mike Jackson, both on injured reserve, and Evero’s defense is about to be stretched even thinner over the next month. The front seven needs help, and it needs it fast.
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Jaycee Horn and Damien Lewis are among the key names dealing with issues, and that has only added to the concern around a defense that now faces one of the leagues more capable offenses. The Lions are favored by 3.5 points, and for Carolina, the bigger question is whether it can keep this from becoming a long night against a unit built to punish soft spots. [Read more 🡒]
Panthers Are Already Facing An Uncomfortable NFC South Reality
The Panthers are sitting at 1-2 and somehow still leading the NFC South, a reminder of how quickly division races can feel shaky this early in the season. Even with injuries hitting key pieces like Jaycee Horn and Mike Jackson, Carolina remains in a spot where the path to the top of the division is still right in front of it, even if the broader picture around the team feels a lot less stable.
CBS Sports analyst John Breech sees that reality playing out all year, projecting Carolina to repeat as NFC South champion with a 7-10 finish and the No. 4 seed in the playoffs. The catch is what comes with that kind of forecast: it would likely say as much about the weakness of the division as it does about the Panthers' ceiling, and it leaves open the bigger question of whether winning the South would mean much once the postseason begins. [Read more 🡒]