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Panthers should already be targeting this rising star pass rusher

The Carolina Panthers should already be planning a pursuit of this rising star pass rusher in NFL free agency.
Matthew Schmidt|
New York Giants linebacker Azeez Ojulari smiles during a win over the Philadelphia Eagles, Jan. 7, 2024.
New York Giants linebacker Azeez Ojulari smiles during a win over the Philadelphia Eagles, Jan. 7, 2024. | Kevin R. Wexler / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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Carolina Panthers

The Carolina Panthers will have a laundry list of needs heading into the NFL offseason, but one of their biggest holes is definitely their pass rush.

The Panthers tallied just 32 sacks in 2024, which shouldn't come as much of a surprise seeing as how Carolina lost Brian Burns last offseason and didn't add anyone of significance other than Jadeveon Clowney, who has never had a double-digit sack campaign in his career.

The problem is that the Panthers aren't slated to have a ton of cap room going into free agency, so they will have to pick their spots.

One player Carolina already be considering is New York Giants edge rusher Azeez Ojulari.

The Giants are unlikely to retain Ojulari, as they swung a trade with the Panthers for Burns last March and also have Kayvon Thibodeaux on the edge.

Ojulari logged 28 tackles and six sacks in 11 games this year, demonstrating that he is one of the most underrated pass rushers in football.

The 24-year-old broke into the NFL with New York in 2021 and had a great rookie year, rattling off 49 tackles and eight sacks.

Since then, Ojulari has had difficulty staying healthy, as he appeared in just 29 contests between 2022 and 2024.

His questionable durability should make him a rather affordable target in free agency, and the Panthers may be able to land him on a short-term, incentive-laden contract.

Carolina needs to address this issue, and while Ojulari can't be the only addition the Panthers make to rectify it, it would be a great start.

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Matthew Schmidt
MATTHEW SCHMIDT

Matthew Schmidt is a sportswriter who covers NFL, MLB, NBA and some college. He has been writing professionally since 2011 and has also worked for Bleacher Report, FanRag Sports, ClutchPoints, NFLAnalysis.Net and NBAAnalysis.net. He was born and raised in New Jersey and has a rather eclectic group of favorite teams: the Boston Celtics, New York Giants and Miami Marlins.

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