Top-25 NFL Free Agent Thankfully Predicted to Sign with Carolina Panthers

The Carolina Panthers need a premium edge rusher badly. Unfortunately, they're not exactly in the best spot to get one.

Trey Hendrickson, Odafe Oweh, and Khalil Mack are equal parts too costly and too in-demand for the Panthers, who have less than $10 million in cap space currently.

The Panthers pick 19th, which means David Bailey and Rueben Bain Jr., as well as a host of other good edge rusher prospects, will be off the board at 19. What can they do?

They can, as one insider predicted, sign Bradley Chubb, a pretty strong edge rusher that the Miami Dolphins just released.

Bradley Chubb predicted to land with Carolina Panthers

Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young (9) passes the ball as Miami Dolphins outside linebacker Bradley Chubb (2) pressures | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Bradley Chubb starred at NC State, just a few hours from Charlotte, in college. Now, the Panthers have a chance to bring the talented edge rusher back home.

FOX Sports analyst Greg Auman ranked Chubb the 21st-best free agent in this crop. Chubb was also the fourth-highest-ranked edge rusher in the group. He's not Trey Hendrickson, but he's good.

"Chubb, 29, had rebounded nicely with 8.5 sacks in 2025 after missing the previous season with a torn ACL. His last contract paid him $18 million a year, but he should be closer to $12-14 million per year," Auman began.

Auman also pointed out that Chubb is five years younger than Khalil Mack. The insider admitted that it was tempting to predict that Chubb will head to Baltimore to follow defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver, but there's another Panther connection besides proximity to his college.

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Miami Dolphins linebacker Bradley Chubb (2) leaves the field following a game | Rich Storry-Imagn Images

"Another option would be Carolina and defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero, who was with him in Denver for part of a Pro Bowl season in 2022," he said. Chubb is familiar with Evero's system, and he'd be the best edge rusher in Carolina in years.

Chubb is 29 and clearly rebounded fine from his torn ACL, so the Panthers wouldn't have to sign him to a one-year deal. He could stick around for a few seasons, which would be ideal.

This would allow Nic Scourton and Princely Umanmielen to continue developing alongside Chubb, thereby removing the glaring need to draft a top edge rusher in the NFL draft.

In turn, that would open things up to other positions. The Panthers need a linebacker, so maybe they can pass on an edge rusher and take Sonny Styles or CJ Allen in round one.

Maybe they can feel better about a Makai Lemon or Kenyon Sadiq pick on offense. In every possible way, this prediction would be a huge win for the Panthers.