Zakee Wheatley Could Be Perfect Partner to Tre'von Moehrig in Panthers' Secondary

The Carolina Panthers needed a safety in the NFL draft after failing to land one in free agency. They re-signed Nick Scott, but that's as uninspiring a move as it gets. They passed on Dillon Thieneman and Emmanuel McNeil-Warren in the first and second rounds.

They ended up circling back on Zakee Wheatley in the fifth round, a consensus top-100 prospect who just might be the perfect partner to Tre'von Moehrig on the back end.

Why Zakee Wheatley fits the Panthers' defense

Carolina Panthers safety Tre'von Moehrig (7) runs on to the field before the game | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

The Panthers have to find a starting safety opposite Tre'von Moehrig. He's entrenched, but Nick Scott, Lathan Ransom, and Zakee Wheatley are all options to play on the other side. Wheatley might be the best choice.

The problem with Ransom is not that he's a bad player. In fact, he's a very solid safety, one that played a helpful role in Carolina's defensive resurgence last season. One could argue that he is a starting-caliber player.

The problem is that he's the exact same type of player as Moehrig, just worse. Moehrig is an elite run defender (87.5 PFF grade) who struggles in coverage (55.3 grade). Ransom is an elite run defender (85.1 grade) who struggles in coverage (55.8 coverage grade).

The Panthers can't put two safeties on the field who will dominate the run game but can't cover anyone on the back end except in clear, obvious run situations. That pairing just can't work as a starting duo, hence why Scott started in 2025 (67.3 coverage grade).

Wheatley is the inverse of Ransom and Moehrig. He's not built to play up in the box like those two, although his college run defense grade was 82.3. His coverage grade, though, was even better at 83.5.

Consider the PFF staff's synopsis of the Wheatley selection, "Wheatley is a long, springy athlete best suited for single-high roles. His slender build can be exposed in the box, but he offers strong range and coverage ability in space."

That's the opposite of both Moehrig and Ransom, two safeties who are at their best in the box and do not have a lot of coverage ability in space. The Panthers need both types of safeties, and if Wheatley's college performance translates at all, he will be an instant starter and a major upgrade over Scott.

Carolina Panthers safety Lathan Ransom (22) celebrates the game-winning interception | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

In fact, PFF loves the Panthers' draft class, giving it an A+ grade. Among all the picks they made, Wheatley was the highest-graded prospect. He earned an 85.9 overall grade in 2025, higher than Lee Hunter (80.9), Jackson Kuwatch (82.1), and Sam Hecht (80.9), who were close behind.

Obviously, the Panthers made a handful of really good selections, but there's a chance Wheatley ends up being the best one. They obviously got good value there, but it looks like he will also be the ideal addition to their secondary and a starter sooner rather than later.

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