The dust is settling on a successful 2025 NFL Draft for the Carolina Panthers. They managed to rectify some key issues and solidify depth in perceived areas of strength. This puts head coach Dave Canales' squad in a much more profitable position before preparations for the upcoming campaign gather pace.
There is now hope. The Panthers are not the finished article just yet, but they are getting closer. If their free-agent recruits this offseason hit the ground running and the team's eight draft picks manage to transition smoothly, a winning record — the first under owner David Tepper — represents a bold yet attainable objective.
Everything must come together during the summer, and when competitive action commences, but the table has been laid. The Panthers are still searching for slight roster tweaks based on wide receiver Hunter Renfrow's arrival. Still, the core part of next season's squad is firmly in place.
Before we look too far ahead, we picked three winners and two losers from Carolina's 2025 NFL Draft moves.
Winners and losers from the Carolina Panthers' 2025 NFL Draft moves
Winner No. 1
Dan Morgan - Carolina Panthers GM
If there were any remaining doubts about Dan Morgan's long-term strategy to turn the Carolina Panthers around, they subsided among the fanbase after the general manager navigated the 2025 NFL Draft successfully.
The front-office leader has a concise plan in place for every eventuality. Morgan played the board superbly, seized on opportunities when they arose and brought the right characters to the organization. There was also a nice mix of offense and defense, which is only going to help the Panthers become more balanced.
This is just phase two of Morgan's master plan to get the Panthers back to respectability and, over time, into legitimate contention. It's a gradual route to achieving these objectives with a methodical, professional approach that was sorely lacking under previous regimes. They relied more on rash gambles that set the franchise back considerably.
Morgan's second draft at the helm has been largely well-received across the fanbase and media alike. The prospects still need to prove their worth in an NFL setting, but it would be extremely disappointing if they didn't.
The Panthers are being run with more purpose these days. Morgan, Dave Canales, and Brandt Tilis have an aligned vision for the future. David Tepper is an innocent bystander, signing the checks and letting the football people run things as they see fit.
And the results speak for themselves.