NFL insider names Panthers biggest remaining need and it's a surprise

The Panthers certainly still have needs, but which one is most glaring?

Oct 20, 2024; Landover, Maryland, USA; Carolina Panthers cornerback Jaycee Horn (8) breaks up a pass intended for Washington Commanders wide receiver Dyami Brown (2) during the second quarter at Northwest Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images / Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

The Carolina Panthers did a ton of work this offseason to address holes. They entered with glaring holes at arguably seven or more positions. They've shored up several of those positions, so they at least have far fewer holes entering 2025. In that sense, they still do not have a full roster.

This is true for most teams, though the good ones have far fewer or far less glaring absences at their positions of need. The Panthers aren't that, and they have, according to Bleacher Report's Alex Ballentine, five holes that still need to be addressed. The most glaring one? It's not what you think.

In order from one to five, Ballentine said the Panthers need a cornerback, center, edge rusher, linebacker, and wide receiver. Cornerback was number one despite having two quality starters, one of which was a Pro Bowl player last year.

"The Panthers probably had too many holes to address in one offseason. Signing Jaycee Horn to an extension was huge, but they'll need him to stay healthy," Ballentine said. "They don't have a lot of depth behind him and they should still be looking for contributors in the secondary."

Wide receiver is not a misfire in Ballentine's analysis, because while the receiver room is deep in terms of bodies, there is not an abundance of top-end talent. But picking cornerback as the biggest need over safety, which somehow did not even make the list, is shocking.

The Panthers have two good cornerbacks. They don't have any depth behind them, but they have two good starters. Carolina arguably has just one decent safety at the moment, so that's not even enough to fill out a starting lineup. It's Trevon Moehrig, a fourth-round rookie, a special-teams player, and Nick Scott. That's still a huge hole.

One can argue against edge rusher being included since the Panthers drafted two and have two veterans, but most of those players are still unproven. Either way, no matter which way you slice it, Carolina still has holes.

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