What Dan Morgan Quietly Revealed About the Panthers During the Draft

The NFL draft is where GMs reveal how they truly feel about their respective teams. For example, Rams GM Les Snead revealed that he didn't think his team needed an immediate contributor in the first round and that he believes Matthew Stafford's days are relatively numbered.

Dan Morgan of the Carolina Panthers didn't do anything that drastic. He didn't draft a potential successor to Bryce Young or anything like that. But he did quietly reveal what he truly thinks of the Panthers' roster and a few players in particular.

What Dan Morgan clearly thinks about the Panthers roster

Carolina Panthers general manager Dan Morgan speaks at the NFL Scouting Combine | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Though he spent about half of his picks on offense and has done that mostly throughout his entire tenure, Dan Morgan clearly believes the Panthers need to be a defensive football team. Or he believes that they can't be a high-flying offense.

In free agency, the Panthers loaded up on defense, filling the biggest holes and theoretically allowing the focus to be on offense. But since he didn't focus more on that side of the ball, continuing to add key contributors on defense, it seems like he wants the Panthers to be a dominant defense.

On the defensive side of the ball, he clearly targeted some of the perceived holes: safety, interior line, cornerback depth, and linebacker depth. On offense, he ignored some of the biggest perceived holes: tight end and a star wide receiver, namely.

Had Dan Morgan been looking to build an elite offense, he probably would've drafted Makai Lemon in round one. He probably would've grabbed Eli Stowers in round two and then kept Chris Brazzell in round three to give Bryce Young enough legitimate weapons.

Instead, he took a balanced approach. But after spending so much on the defense, balance does nothing to tilt the scales back. The Panthers of old had dominant defenses, some of which Morgan was a part of.

And after this offseason, it is clear that's Morgan's vision for the franchise. He doesn't want a bad offense or anything, which is why Freeling and Brazzell (and Sam Hecht, for that matter) are now on the team.

Tennessee wide receiver Chris Brazzell II (17) goes up for the catch during an NCAA college football game | Angelina Alcantar/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

But the focus is clearly on defense, even after spending two entire offseasons improving it after that historically bad 2024 season on defense.

And as a side note, Morgan also revealed what he thinks of Xavier Legette. He publicly says they believe in him, but he also drafted Brazzell, who will take Legette's job and is virtually the same tall, fast receiver Legette was supposed to be.

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