Latest NFL Power Rankings Have Panthers Surprisingly Closer to Bottom Than Top

By all accounts, the Panthers had a good offseason. Despite adding some big names to the roster, the defending NFC South champs aren’t getting much respect.

Jun 9, 2026; Charlotte, NC, USA; Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young (9) throws in front of head coach Dave Canales during the first day of mini camp at Bank of America Stadium practice facility. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Dave Canales’s defending division champions are in the midst of training camp, as are the other 31 teams in the league. The summer has been a little rough for the Carolina Panthers. The team has already placed promising pass rusher Nic Scourton—who tied for the team lead with five sacks a year ago—on injured reserve with a torn ACL. The news got a little worse on Wednesday when rookie wideout Chris Brazzell II went down with a knee injury and will now miss some time.

Carolina Panthers’ 2026 preseason opener one week away

Dear Brad Idzik and Bryce Young,

FEED JALEN COKER THE BALL. pic.twitter.com/ravhlwnNkO

— SleeperPanthers (@SleeperCarolina) May 5, 2026

As Canales’s club continues to prepare for next Thursday’s Hall of Fame Game clash with the Arizona Cardinals, NFL analysts continue to give their thoughts when it comes to the league’s 107th campaign and its clubs. For example, Josh Kendall of The Athletic released his pre-training camp NFL Power Rankings on Tuesday, a day in which the majority of teams in the league saw their veterans report for training camp. Of course, the Panthers have been at it for more than a week.

Carolina still hasn’t finished above. 500 since posting an 11-5 mark in 2017. However, they were a playoff team this past season and gave Sean McVay’s Los Angeles Rams all they could handle in a 34-31 loss.

Keep in mind that the first nine teams in these new rankings were all postseason participants in 2025. In fact, 13 of the 14 clubs that reached the playoffs this past season can be found within Nos. 1-17. The Rams head the list, with the Pittsburgh Steelers sitting at the 17th spot.

Carolina Panthers in bottom half of new NFL power rankings

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As for McVay’s squad, Kendall placed them at a somewhat-perplexing No. 22. “The Panthers won the NFC South last year despite finishing the regular season with a losing record, dropping three of their final four games, finishing 23rd in the NFL in scoring margin (minus-69) and being outside the Top 20 in both offensive and defensive EPA. Most of the offseason emphasis was on improving the defense, which they hope to have done after paying big money to pass rusher Jaelan Phillips and linebacker Devin Lloyd.”

Of course, power rankings are highly subjective. But it is worth noting that the Panthers are sitting three spots behind the rival Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who finished 8-9 after dropping seven of their last nine games a season ago. Carolina is also one notch below the Indianapolis Colts, another club with an 8-9 record this past year. Shane Steichen’s squad closed out 2025 with seven consecutive losses.

There are plenty of positives when it comes to the Panthers

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Besides the additions of Phillips and Lloyd, general manager Dan Morgan added veteran free agents such as left tackle Rasheed Walker and center Luke Fortner. He supplemented them by drafting tackle Monroe Freeling (1-Georgia) and pivot Sam Hecht (5-Kansas State). Second-round defensive tackle Lee Hunter (Texas Tech) certainly bears watching. Jaycee Horn and Mike Jackson are a top cornerback tandem.

Also, quarterback Bryce Young comes off a career season, and Tetairoa McMillan and Jalen Coker were one of the better wideout duos down the stretch in 2025. Again, it’s all very subjective. However, the Panthers look like a team on the rise, which makes their placement on this list a little confusing considering Morgan’s body of work this offseason.