PFF reveals 3 biggest Panthers’ draft needs but misses a huge one

The rising Carolina Panthers are now reigning NFC South champions. They also come off an 8-10 season—the eighth straight year the team finished below .500 dating back to 2018. Despite the obvious progress made by Dave Canales’s club in 2025, there is obviously more work to be done.

Mason Cameron of Pro Football Focus looked at all 32 teams and picked out the top three draft needs for 2026 for each franchise. In terms of the Panthers, Cameron listed wide receiver, defensive line, and linebacker, respectively.

“The Panthers invested heavily along the edge last offseason in an effort to fix the NFL’s lowest-graded pass rush from 2024, but the results were modest at best. Carolina finished the season ranked 31st in PFF pass-rush grade (60.5) and dead last in pressure rate off the edge (15.2 percent).”

“Injuries to Pat Jones II forced rookies Nic Scourton and Princely Umanmielen into prominent roles,” added Cameron, “and while both showed promise, the unit still lacks a consistent veteran presence to stabilize the pass rush.”

All three suggestions make sense. Rookie wideout Tetairoa McMillan enjoyed a superb debut campaign and second-year pro Jalen Coker was hot down the stretch. However, 2024 first-round pick Xavier Legette had his ups and downs. The defensive line was bolstered via free agency last offseason with Tershawn Wharton and Bobby Brown III, but the team could use more from 2025 fifth-rounder Cam Jackson. Finally, the Panthers’ pass rush came up with 30 sacks—the third consecutive season the team averaged fewer than two QB traps per game.

Dec 14, 2025; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Carolina Panthers tight end Mitchell Evans (84) runs on the field before the game against the New Orleans Saints at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images | Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

However, it’s somewhat surprising that Cameron did not bump one of his three suggestions and replace it with tight end. If you include the team’s 34-31 playoff loss to the Rams in the wild card round, Tommy Tremble (30), Ja’Tavion Sanders (29), Mitchell Evans (19), and James Mitchell (3) combined for just 81 catches. That added up to only 660 yards and five scores.

Those collective numbers were better than the team managed a year ago, but it still appears to be an area that general manager Dan Morgan should take a long look at.

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