Panthers named among teams who need to ace the 2025 NFL draft

At this point in the offseason, free agency is all but finished. The Carolina Panthers still need to find a starting-level player at safety, edge rusher, and tight end. They could also stand to add someone who's at least a WR3 caliber player at the NFL level, a linebacker, and depth at a lot of positions.

They have to plug the remaining holes if they're going to be competitive, which is why they need to ace the draft. They have to not only find talent, but they have to find starters at a few positions at the bare minimum. CBS Sports' Cody Benjamin listed Carolina as one of five NFC squads who desperately need wins at the end of the month.

Sep 22, 2024; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Carolina Panthers general manager Dan Morgan during the game against the Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

"Bryce Young appeared to turn a corner as the quarterback of the present and future late in 2024, but the Panthers still have a plethora of needs under coach Dave Canales. For one, Young is still lacking a dynamic go-to receiver," he said. "Every level of the defense is ripe for some fresh prospects. The addition of free agents like Bobby Brown III, Tershawn Wharton, and Tre'von Moehrig should help, but doubling down on defensive investments feels necessary if they intend to challenge for the NFC South anytime soon."

The depth chart, even after several new additions, is not in a great place. If the season started today, Jadeveon Clowney and DJ Wonnum would be the edge rushers. Tre'von Moehrig and Nick Scott would start at the safety spots, and the linebackers would be Christian Rozeboom and Josey Jewell. It's not a pretty picture.

Fortunately, there are prospects they can get to fix those problems. They can take someone like Jalon Walker, Xavier Watts, or another player to fill the voids, but they need to make sure they hit on the picks and do better than they did in GM Dan Morgan's first draft last year.

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