Amare Barno - Carolina Panthers OLB
As previously mentioned, those on the edge-rushing fringes last season are slowly being phased out. That will be disappointing to some, but general manager Dan Morgan is doing what he believes is necessary to take the Carolina Panthers forward.
We've already discussed D.J. Johnson's precarious situation. The same applies to Amare Barno, whose 2024 season was once again blighted by injuries.
Barno flashes as a pass rusher. He finds it difficult to set an effective edge against the run, but he wasn't alone in that regard last season. The former sixth-round pick also carved out a role for himself on special teams, which is the one element that will give him a fighting chance of making the 53-man roster.
If the Panthers add to the edge-rushing room during the draft as expected, it'll make Barno's task more difficult. Getting a better run of luck on the health front will be the first objective. After that, it's all about catching the eye over early workouts and taking this through into the summer.
It's also worth remembering that this is the final year of Barno's rookie deal. The financial ramifications are non-existent when it comes to releasing or keeping the player. That only raises the stakes for the Virginia Tech product with increased competition to contend with.
Jaden Crumedy - Carolina Panthers DL
The Panthers' problems on defense started in the trenches. Ejiro Evero was dealt a huge blow during the first regular-season game when Pro Bowl lineman Derrick Brown suffered a long-term knee injury. The defensive coordinator didn't have the starting personnel or depth to compensate for this loss.
The results, or lack thereof, spoke for themselves. Carolina conceded the most single-season points in NFL history and more than 3,000 rushing yards at 179.8 per game. Dan Morgan needed to address the problem with the urgency it deserved this offseason. Thankfully, this was also recognized by the general manager.
Carolina signed a genuine nose tackle to proclaim how serious they were about defensive improvements. Bobby Brown III knows Evero well from their time together on the Los Angeles Rams. He's a productive space-eater who won't necessarily fill up the stat sheet, but he'll free up space for others to do damage.
Tershawn Wharton was another important signing as a 3-4 defensive end opposite Brown. With A'Shawn Robinson under contract, Shy Tuttle taking a pay cut to stick around, and LaBryan Ray penning a new one-year deal, Jaden Crumedy has his work cut out this summer.
Crumedy was a sixth-round pick last year who got hurt at the worst possible time. He flashed promise when given reps late in the campaign, but the Panthers weren't going to wait around on the off-chance he took a monumental step in the right direction.