Carolina Panthers Urged to Trade for Standout Seahawks Defender

The Panthers won the NFC South in 2025, but wound up losing 10 games. The pass rush remains spotty, and a deal with the current conference champions may help.

Dec 18, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; Los Angeles Rams running back Blake Corum (22) dives for a touchdown against Seattle Seahawks linebacker Uchenna Nwosu (7) in the second half at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Ng-Imagn Images | Kevin Ng-Imagn Images

Alex Ballentine of Bleacher Report has taken a look at all 32 teams, including the Super Bowl LX-bound Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots, and predicted each club’s top three trade targets in the coming months. He took a look at the club’s salary cap room, as well as their biggest position of need.

For the reigning NFC South champion Carolina Panthers, who won a division title with an 8-9 record and lost in the first round of the playoffs, he pointed to center, linebacker, and tight end. His suggestion in terms of the defender was a current Seahawks’ edge-rusher who tied for the team lead in QB traps this season.

“One of the Panthers most glaring weaknesses,” explained Ballentine, “was a pass rush that was 31st in the league in pressure rate. They have some promising young pieces in Nic Scourton and Princely Umanmielen, but they need veterans who can bridge the gap of their development. Uchenna Nwosu is a veteran with experience on an elite defense in Seattle. His seven sacks would have led the Panthers this season and the Seahawks could create some cap space by dealing him.”

Nov 16, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Carolina Panthers outside linebacker Nic Scourton (11) reacts after a play in the fourth quarter against the Atlanta Falcons at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Derrick Brown and Scourton tied for the Panthers’ lead with five sacks in 2025. This was one year after Jadeveon Clowney and A’Shawn Robinson share that stat with a mere 5.5 sacks. Over the past three seasons, Carolina’s defense has managed a combined 89 sacks in 51 games—easily the fewest in the league. In 2023, there were an NFL-low 27 sacks, followed by 32 quarterback traps the following season, and then 30 sacks in 2025. These last two years, Dave Canales’s club was tied for 30th in the league in this category.

Limited to a total of 12 games from 2023-24, Nwosu managed only three sacks in those dozen outings. He bounced back in 2025, playing in 16 contests and making 11 starts. He finished with 35 tackles and the aforementioned seven sacks—the second-best total of his eight-year NFL career. Nwosu’s 15 quarterback hits ranked third on team behind Leonard Williams (22) and Demarcus Lawrence (20). Could he wind up being the answer to the Panthers’ three-year pass-rushing problem?

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