Analyst misses mark naming Carolina Panthers' 3 biggest needs for 2026 NFL draft

Bleacher Report is certainly following through on the idea that the Panthers need to find themselves a new starting center.

Oct 5, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Panthers general manager Dan Morgan on the field before the gsme at Bank of America Stadium. | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

The Carolina Panthers still have four games left to play, but it's never too early to start thinking about next year's NFL draft.

General manager Dan Morgan did a splendid job of meeting the team's needs in the class of 2025, bringing in new weapons for Bryce Young and a couple of potential long-term starters on defense.

This roster still has holes to fill, though. In a recent piece from Bleacher Report, they attempted to name the three biggest ones for Carolina going into 2026 - and the results are... interesting. Here are the three positions they named.

Center

For the third time this season B/R has connected the Panthers to needing a new starting center. This time around they listed Texas A&M's Trey Zuhn III, plus Pat Coogan from Indiana and Beau Stephens from Iowa.

From where we're sitting this should not be considered a real need since Carolina already has a perfectly-respectable starter on their roster in Cade Mays. They also have multiple alternatives in Austin Corbett and Brady Christensen who aren't bad choices, either.

Quarterback

Bleacher Report also sees quarterback as a need. In this case, they're at least half-right. Andy Dalton's last few starts has proven that he is no longer dynamic enough to compete at this level, and Carolina should be looking to bring in a younger backup option behind Bryce Young.

The more that this hypothetical QB2 could compete with Young for the starting job, the better. Young is coming off a career-best game against the Rams but he's still had a disappointing season overall, and it would be a mistake not to bring in some kind of competition - whether a veteran like Kyler Murray or a draft pick - to push him.

Linebacker

Finally, they also list inside linebacker as a need for Carolina, which is the only really obvious need in the bunch. Trevin Wallace and Christian Rozeboom are average on their best days and the team still hasn't made a real effort to replace Josey Jewell. This position should be high on their list to address going into the draft, no later than Day 2.

Where's the edge???

The real beef we have with this list is the total absence of outside linebacker as a need, which as far as we can tell looks like the biggest single hole on this roster right now.

For the third straight season, the Panthers are near the bottom in sack totals. Yes, they did invest two early picks in this position last year - but we haven't seen enough from Princely Umanmielen to know if he's going to work out or not, and DJ Wonnum and Patrick Jones have offered next to nothing.

If Morgan does literally nothing else in the draft, he needs to add more firepower to this edge rotation or the Panthers' total lack of a pass rush will continue to cost them games.

Sep 21, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. (9) looks to pass as Carolina Panthers safety Tre'von Moehrig (7) and linebacker DJ. Wonnum (98) pressure in the first quarter at Bank of America Stadium. | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

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