Chandler Zavala - Carolina Panthers OL
The Carolina Panthers' offensive line was a huge positive throughout the season. Dan Morgan spent big money to acquire Robert Hunt and Damien Lewis as their new starting guard tandem. That completely transformed the team's fortunes and made everyone else better along the way.
There were some concerns heading into the offseason. Austin Corbett, Cade Mays, and Brady Christensen were free agents. Nobody thought all three would stick around, but that's exactly what general manager Dan Morgan accomplished.
Corbett penned a one-year deal and will fight it out with Mays for the starting center job after the former sixth-round pick signed his restricted free-agent tender. Christensen was expected to have a robust market thanks to his versatility. However, the BYU product's love for living in Charlotte saw him spurn advances from elsewhere.
That is fantastic news. Bryce Young has continuity in his protection with trust already firmly established. That's only going to help, but it makes life more difficult for Chandler Zavala to firmly establish himself.
Zavala was dealt a rough hand by the previous coaching regime. The interior presence was thrown into a starting role before he was ready and paid the price.
His confidence was shaken almost to the point of no return. Zavala performed much better when called upon last season, so it'll be interesting to see if he can build on that en route to making the roster once again.
D.J. Johnson - Carolina Panthers OLB
Generating pressure was a troublesome task for the Panthers in 2024. They were ranked in the league's lower echelons despite D.J. Wonnum making a decent impact once he returned from injury. There was no way Dan Morgan could have kept things as they were during his second offseason at the helm.
The Panthers brought in Tershawn Wharton to provide that speed-to-power explosiveness opposite Derrick Brown. They also signed Patrick Jones II to fortify the edge alongside Wonnum — a former teammate from their time together on the Minnesota Vikings — and established veteran Jadeveon Clowney.
Jones is coming off a seven-sack campaign in Minnesota and wants to firmly cement his place in the team's future. The Panthers are widely expected to find another promising edge rusher or two during the 2025 NFL Draft to further strengthen the ranks. That would place D.J. Johnson lower down the depth chart than ever.
The Panthers made a jaw-dropping trade-up in the 2023 NFL Draft for Johnson at No. 80 overall. This was heavily critiqued at the time and even more so now. Unless there is a significant surge forward from the player, there's a good chance he won't be on the Week 1 roster to make room for others.
Getting drafted so high wasn't his fault. However, it placed added expectations on the former Oregon star that he couldn't meet effectively enough.
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