Why Panthers' Bryce Young, Jaelan Phillips Are Among NFL's Most Impactful Players

If Bryce Young and Jaelan Phillips work out well this year for the Carolina Panthers, then they'll improve on both sides of the ball. That matters, as one analyst put it, to a lot more teams than just the Panthers.

Why Bryce Young and Jaelan Phillips matter for the entire NFL, not just the Panthers

Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young (9) reacts in the fourth quarter in an NFC Wild Card Round game | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

CBS Sports insider Zachary Pereles broke down the 100 most important players for the 2026 NFL season. On it were two Panthers: Bryce Young and Jaelan Phillips. It's hard to pick two better Panthers for this exercise.

It is important to note that these are not the 100 best players. Phillips likely makes that list, and some other Panthers may as well. Young would not, though. As much as we love him, we have to be realistic about that.

The important distinction is that they're the most important players. They will have the most impact on how the 2026 season goes, and that's not specifically a team-centric thing. How well Phillips translates and how much better Young gets won't affect the Panthers alone.

As for Phillips, who ranks 48th, getting results is what makes him the most important Panther. He's been elite at generating pressure his entire career, but his sack numbers are low. Pressures are good, but sacks are better.

"There's never been any question about Phillips' ability. It's all about his health. Last year, he played in all 17 games and posted an 18.8% pressure rate, fourth-highest in the NFL (min. 300 pass-rush snaps), but only five sacks. After signing him to a four-year, $120 million deal, the Panthers hope he can stay healthy and turn more of those pressures into sacks," Pereles wrote.

If he can generate results and stay healthy, then this Panthers defense will be much more fearsome. Last year, they were solid without any semblance of a pass rush thanks to Derrick Brown and an elite secondary. Add a sack artist to the mix and you can see where the improvement will be.

And if the Panthers have a good defense as a defending division champion, then all NFC contenders, not just in the South, are going to be impacted. The same is true of Young, but the question is different. Can Young, ranked 79th, make the leap?

History says no, but history hasn't really seen a player's career unfold in this manner. First overall picks who are benched don't get their fifth-year options picked up, nor do they ever really return to the lineup, so history may go out the window.

Regardless, Pereles' question is valid. "Young has shown subtle improvements over his career, but he still ranked 29th in net yards per attempt, 28th in expected points added per dropback and 25th in interception rate last year. Size and arm strength remain major issues, even with all of his smarts, slithery pocket escapability and out-of-structure playmaking," he wrote.

"The Panthers are intent on winning big after their NFC South title last year, as the Jaelan Phillips and Devin Lloyd signings show. Can Young take a big step, or is this -- a bottom-half quarterback -- just what he is?" he concluded.

Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Jaelan Phillips (50) walks off the field after win against the Las Vegas Raiders | Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

Can Young be better? We think so. And despite the brutal schedule that is chock full of the league's best defenses (which got a little easier with the Myles Garrett trade), Young should improve. Again, how much he can do that will have a wide-ranging effect on the entire NFC.

If Young and the Panthers nearly made some noise in the playoffs at 8-9 and with that lackluster defense, imagine what they could do with a better defense. Or a better Young. Or both. Suddenly, they look a lot more concerning if you're a rival or a fellow NFC playoff hopeful, and that's why these two matter to the NFL at large.

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