While Tre’von Moehrig remains the unquestioned centerpiece of the safety group, the Carolina Panthers have quietly accumulated enough talent behind him to make the room one of the more intriguing position groups on the roster.
And perhaps most importantly, the Panthers may already have their next safety duo waiting in the wings.
Rookie Zakee Wheatley and second-year safety Lathan Ransom could eventually become the future of Carolina's secondary.
Lathan Ransom and Zakee Wheatley could be Carolina Panthers' long-term answer at safety
That may not happen immediately. In fact, the Panthers have plenty of reasons to use a rotation featuring Moehrig, Nick Scott, Ransom and Wheatley throughout the 2026 season.
But when looking further, it’s difficult not to get super excited about what Wheatley and Ransom could bring to Ejiro Evero's defense.
Moehrig is a tone-setter against the run but has never been a lockdown coverage safety. Wheatley profiles as the exact complement — a player who can erase some of that vulnerability over the top while the TCU product handles the physical work in the box.
Pair that with the stud cornerback tandem of Jaycee Horn and Mike Jackson Sr. on the outside, and Carolina's defensive backfield starts to look potentially dominant on paper.
It would be easy to see Wheatley's arrival as bad news for Ransom. However, the former Ohio State star's game was never built around a single-high role anyway.
He spent most of last season working the box, deep zone rotations, and big nickel and dime packages. That versatility is exactly why Ransom is not fighting Wheatley for the same job.
Carolina Panthers have four capable safeties entering the season, which is always a good thing
Evero has him penciled in as more of a chess piece, someone who can slide into whatever look the defense needs that week. That fits what the Panthers need perfectly on their rotation.
Ransom still has real work to do. His tackling needs to tighten up, and his spacing in deep zone drops was inconsistent as a rookie. But those are coachable issues, not talent issues.
Moehrig is the clear top safety on the roster. Behind him, Scott is coming off a career year with 111 tackles and a full 17-game slate, and Carolina brought him back this offseason for a reason. Then you've got Ransom and Wheatley pushing from underneath.
In a perfect world, Moehrig gets backed up by Ransom, and Wheatley pushes Scott for reps at the other spot, with all four rotating enough to stay fresh.
General manager Dan Morgan has emphasized building depth across the roster, and the safety position is becoming another example of that philosophy.
The Panthers don't necessarily need Wheatley and Ransom to become starters right away. They just need to develop.
Because if they do, Carolina may already have its next safety duo of the future.
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