Carolina Panthers’ Roster is Still Severely Underrated After Offseason Additions

Give credit where credit due. Since being elevated from assistant general manager to president of football operations/general manager in 2024, Dan Morgan has steadily built a solid squad in Charlotte. The Panthers finished 2-15 in 2023, with first overall pick Bryce Young the starting quarterback for 16 of those 17 games.

Panthers’ GM Dan Morgan has shown his eye for talent

Dan Morgan and Trevor Etienne — IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

That first offseason, he added experienced guards Robert Hunt and Damien Lewis in free agency, and also swung a deal with Seattle to obtain cornerback Mike Jackson. He also signed undrafted wide receiver Jalen Coker.

In 2025, free agency brought defensive linemen Tershawn Wharton and Bobby Brown III, and safety Tre’von Moehrig. The draft brought wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan and edge rusher Nic Scourton in the first and second round, respectively.

This offseason, the reigning NFC South champion Panthers spent substantial money on pass-rusher Jaelan Phillips and Pro Bowl linebacker Devin Lloyd. He also signed bargain free agents to bolster the offensive line in left tackle Rasheed Walker (Packers) and center Luke Fortner (Saints).

Carolina Panthers’ roster ranking is quite disappointing

Chuba Hubbard — IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

ESPN’s NFL trifecta of Mike Clay, Aaron Schatz, and Seth Walder combined their talents to rank the league’s 32 rosters, from best to worst—projecting each club’s top starting lineup. All told, 13 of the 14 teams that reached the postseason in 2025 can be found within the first 19 spots—led by the top-ranked Los Angeles Rams. There’s only one club that made the playoffs this past season from 20-32. That would be Dave Canales’s Panthers at No. 24.

Clay states that Carolina’s biggest strength is the offensive line, while its top shortcoming is at running back.

“Chuba Hubbard returns after a rough 2025 season in which he battled injuries and ineffectiveness while losing lead back duties to Rico Dowdle,” explained Clay. “With Dowdle gone, 2024 second-rounder Jonathon Brooks (1 appearance in 2 seasons due to a pair of torn ACLs) will battle for work and provides youth and potential, as does 2025 fourth-round pick Trevor Etienne. There's hope that this group can be solid, but its unproven nature makes it an obvious concern area.”

In 2024, Hubbard had a career-year with 1,195 yards on the ground and 10 rushing touchdowns. Dowdle’s free-agent departure to Pittsburgh could come back to haunt the NFC South champions.

There are high expectations for newcomers Jaelan Phillips and Devin Lloyd

DEVIN LLOYD PICK-6!

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Meanwhile, Walder looked at the additions of Phillips and Lloyd as X factors. Could they make or break the Panthers’ defense this upcoming season? “If they get what they are expecting from Phillips (pass game disruption and a player who can augment the run stop) and Lloyd (playmaking and turnover generation), they could be OK on that side of the ball. If not? Then Carolina's defense could struggle again.”

In terms of the defensive side of the ball, a pair of draft picks in April could have a big say this season. Morgan traded up a few spots in the second round to grab disruptive Texas Tech defensive tackle Lee Hunter. Fifth-round safety Zakee Wheatley (Penn State) bears watching as well.

Is the Carolina Panthers’ roster being undervalued?

Canales and Young — IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

All told, seeing the Panthers’ roster given this low of a ranking is fairly disappointing considering the good work Morgan has done in a relatively short time. Of course, that number becomes a moot point if Canales and company can make a second straight trip to the playoffs, and post the franchise’s first winning season since 2017.

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