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What is the Carolina Panthers’ most important position battle in 2025?

Carolina has made it easy for enemy quarterbacks in recent years. They added some young pass rushers this offseason which will make training camp interesting.
Russell Baxter|
Nov 9, 2024; Oxford, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi Rebels defensive lineman Princely Umanmielen (1) reacts during the second half against the Georgia Bulldogs at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images
Nov 9, 2024; Oxford, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi Rebels defensive lineman Princely Umanmielen (1) reacts during the second half against the Georgia Bulldogs at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

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Carolina Panthers

Only the New England Patriots (28) and Atlanta Falcons (31) totaled fewer sacks in the league this past season than the Carolina Panthers. To make matter worse, their 32 quarterback traps in 2024 was actually an improvement from the previous year, when the club finished dead last in the NFL with a mere 27 sacks.

Do the math, which isn’t hard. The Panthers have dropped opposing quarterbacks a combined 59 times in 34 games dating back to 2023. That’s four less than the Denver Broncos (63) in leading the league in this category this past season.

Alex Ballentine of Bleacher Report revealed his pick for the most important position battle when it comes to each of the NFL’s 32 teams. When it came to Dave Canales’s club, defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero’s unit was front and center, and the emphasis was on the aforementioned shortcoming.

“The Panthers are going to have a hard time being a serious NFL defense if they don't get a significant improvement in the pass-rush department. They were dead last in pressure percentage (via Pro Football Reference) last season (16.2 percent). The moves they made this offseason give them some hope, but they don't equate to a concrete plan yet.”

Patrick Jones I
Nov 24, 2022; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings linebacker Patrick Jones II (91) celebrates after defeating the New England Patriots after the game at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images | Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

General manager Dan Morgan addressed the league’s worst defense in 2024 in free agency and the draft this offseason. “The interior should help matters with the additions of Tershawn Wharton and Bobby Brown III,” added Ballentine, “but that still counts on free agents Patrick Jones II, and rookies Nic Scourton and Princely Umanmielen making an immediate impact. Both were ranked much higher on our big board than where they were selected, but they are both going to have to hit for the Panthers' pass rush to improve.”

The last time Carolina totaled at least 40 sacks in a season was in 2019 (53). Only the Falcons (141) and Jacksonville Jaguars (159) have amassed fewer QB traps than the Panthers (162) since 2020. Hopefully for Carolina, the team has found some consistent solutions that will come up big sooner than later.

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Russell Baxter
RUSSELL BAXTER

Russell S. Baxter has been writing and researching the game of football for more than 40 years, and on numerous platforms. That includes television, as he spent more than two decades at ESPN, and was part of shows that garnered five Emmy Awards. He also spent the 2015 NFL season with Thursday Night Football on CBS/NFLN.