Top 10 Defense? Dan Orlovsky Thinks That May Be Too Low For Rising Panthers D

Carolina's defense has high upside accoridng to NFL insider

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There's one glaring difference between this upcoming Carolina Panthers roster and the 2025 squad. The defense is much more talented. Carolina made a point of bolstering this defense into what looks like an elite unit on paper.

The two marquee signings were off-ball linebacker Devin Lloyd and edge rusher Jaelan Phillips. These moves add to a defense that already had talent. Up front, it is led by arguably the best defensive tackle in the league, Derrick Brown, and an awesome cornerback duo of Jayce Horn and Mike Jackson.

Now that Carolina has elite talent on all three levels of the defense, fans and media are waiting to crown it as a top-10 unit. One NFL analyst even took a step further on the potential that the Panthers have on that side of the ball.

Dan Orlovsky Says Panthers are Top 5 Level Defense, On One Condition

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ESPN's Dan Orlovsky elaborated on why the Panthers' defense could become one of the most improved units in all of football. When discussing the potential of Carolina's defense, Orlovsky gave major praise to defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero. "Ejiro is so impressive when you sit with him for games."

Top five defense? 👀 pic.twitter.com/mErYxQ6iSR

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As far as the actual roster goes, Orlovsky is just as complimentary, talking about how he loves the ball-hawk that Jaycee Horn is, and how physical a defensive back Mike Jackson is. There is one condition for this defense to truly be elite for Orlovsky: it starts on the edge.

"I think it really comes down to Scourton and Phillips... If they can be somewhat impactful as edge rushers, I think this has the chance to be a top 5 defense in the NFL." Orlovsky clearly sees a path to an elite defense, and his starting point isn't wrong.

Jaelan Phillips and Nic Scourton Are the Keys to Dominance

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Carolina's defense was mediocre in 2025, not awful, not great. What held the Panthers back from playing at a high level was their pass rush, which was the worst in the NFL. Carolina ranked in the bottom three in both QB hits and total sacks.

Phillips' has to show he's worth the contract he was given, and if he does, then Scourton will also benefit. Ideally, offensive coordinators will scheme heavily against Phillips, giving Scourton openings to find sacks and pressures of his own.

Obviously, finding sacks is super important, but even when Carolina doesn't sack the opposing QB, the rest of the defense can benefit from pressures. Carolina ranked 16th in total defense at the end of 2025. If the pass rush improves due to Phillips and Scourton leveling up, then at worst this is a top-10 unit.