Carolina Panthers’ Biggest Need and How to Solve it Revealed

Super Bowl LX is nine days away. The New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks will battle to decide the National Football League’s 106th champion on February 8 at Levi’s Stadium.

In the meantime, there’s always time to get an early start on 2026. Ryan Smith of Pro Football Focus looked at each NFL team’s biggest need this offseason and how to address it, be it via free agency in March on the draft in April.

The Carolina Panthers were an 8-9 division champion in 2025, and closed out this season with three straight losses. There is obviously room for improvement for Dave Canales’s club, and Smith focused on one aspect of this club that has been an issue for too many seasons.

“The Panthers fielded the league’s lowest-graded pass rush in 2024,” explained Smith, “and responded by targeting defensive linemen with two of their first three 2025 draft picks. Despite the investments, this season didn’t go much better. They ranked 31st in PFF pass-rushing grade (60.5).”

Auburn Tigers defensive end Keldric Faulk (15) celebrates a stop as Auburn Tigers take on South Alabama Jaguars at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Ala. on Saturday, Sept. 13, 2025. Auburn Tigers lead South Alabama Jaguars 28-9 at halftime. | Jake Crandall/ Advertiser / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

With no other real glaring need,” added Smith, “the Panthers would be wise to continue stockpiling talent along the defensive line and see how the young players develop. Keldric Faulk remains a work in progress as a pass rusher (66.0 PFF pass-rush grade in 2025) but is stout against the run (85.5) and would make an immediate impact on early downs in the NFL.”

Dec 21, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Panthers defensive end Derrick Brown (95) during the first half against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

Dating back to 2023, the Panthers have totaled an NFL-low 89 sacks in 51 regular-season contests. In 2024, Jadeveon Clowney and A’Shawn Robinson tied for the team lead with 5.5 quarterback traps. This past season, Derrick Brown and rookie Nic Scourton led the way with five sacks apiece.

Carolina totaled an NFL-low 27 sacks in 2023, and in back-to-back seasons in 2024 (32) and 2025 (30) finished tied for the third-fewest QB traps in the league. The addition of Auburn’s Faulk could not only aid the pass rush, but could help a defensive unit that is still very suspect when it comes to stopping the run.

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