Panthers' Offseason Signing Ranked As 10th Best in NFL, But That's Too Low

Carolina's leader on defense has been outstanding

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Entering Week 6 of the NFL season, the Carolina Panthers are 2-2 and can widen their lead in the NFC South, particularly over the Saints and Buccaneers.

Carolina's growth has primarily been on offense, with QB Bryce Young and that side of the ball stepping up since OC Brad Idzik took over play-calling duties.

That said, the Panthers' offseason was defined by defense. Sure, the offensive line was revamped from last year, but the marquee signings were all on defense.

One of Carolina's big additions has been phenomenal over four weeks of action and is shaping up to be one of the best signings of the NFL offseason.

NFL Analyst Touts Devin Lloyd as a Top 10 Free Agency Signing

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CBS Sports' Garrett Podell dropped his top-10 free-agent acquisitions through Week 5. There are obviously huge names on the list, such as Chiefs RB Kenneth Walker III and 49ers WR Mike Evans. However, the Panthers also have a worthy inclusion: ILB Devin Lloyd landed at No. 10.

Lloyd agreed to a deal with the Panthers on March 9th. Carolina's green-dot linebacker signed a three-year deal worth up to $45 million, with $25 million guaranteed.

Slotting at No. 10, Lloyd feels too low on this list. This isn't a situation where the Panthers signed a player who hadn't broken out yet. Lloyd was already a second-team All-Pro in 2025 and made the Pro Bowl for the first time.

Even with an All-Pro season, the Panthers managed to sign Lloyd for less than $15 million annually, which shouldn't be possible. Before free agency, Lloyd's projected value was roughly $60 million over three years.

Now, after signing with Carolina, Lloyd has continued his elite play, forcing turnovers and stopping the run. The production, combined with the contract value, means Lloyd should be higher on this list.

Other great players are on this list, but Lloyd could at least move up over No. 9 Nakobe Dean, who has played well but doesn't have the same takeaways as Lloyd does.

Devin Lloyd Is Already A Top 3 Player on Carolina's Roster

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Aside from a Week 1 performance in which no one on the defense was ready for the Bears' offense, led by QB Caleb Williams and HC Ben Johnson, Lloyd has been nothing short of outstanding.

In the other two games, Lloyd was either the best player or among the three best players on the field. This was especially evident in Week 2. Posting 9 tackles, 2 TFLs, 2 interceptions, 1 sack, and 1 touchdown, Lloyd put together an all-time performance on the road against the Atlanta Falcons.

No one else on this list has had a performance as good as Lloyd's Week 2 this season, or, for some players on the list, in their careers.