The Carolina Panthers have a rich bounty at their disposal during the 2025 NFL Draft. One analyst turned up the heat on general manager Dan Morgan heading into the pivotal selection event.
Morgan wants to progress the Panthers. He's doing so with a long-term plan in place, which is getting the desired time from team owner David Tepper. It's been a slow burn, but the improvements over the second half of 2024 suggest this strategy is working.
The Panthers are nowhere near the finished article. Morgan knows that more is needed despite some impressive additions in free agency. If he can navigate the draft successfully, it would be disappointing if Carolina couldn't attain its first winning record since 2017.
NFL analyst believes the Carolina Panthers must ace this year's draft
Cody Benjamin from CBS Sports highlighted this in greater detail. The analyst listed Carolina among the five teams that must ace the draft this year. He also thought doubling down on defensive investments would be the best possible route to NFC South title contention.
"Bryce Young appeared to turn a corner as the quarterback of the present and future late in 2024, but the Panthers still have a plethora of needs under coach Dave Canales. For one, Young is still lacking a dynamic go-to receiver. And every level of the defense is ripe for some fresh prospects. The addition of free agents like Bobby Brown III, Tershawn Wharton and Tre'von Moehrig should help, but doubling down on defensive investments feels necessary if they intend to challenge for the NFC South anytime soon."Cody Benjamin
Morgan worked hard to put the Panthers in a decent position entering the draft. Nobody is getting too carried away, but fans are hopeful at long last.
It's been a long time since anyone could say that with confidence. The Panthers have an aligned vision for the future and are working collaboratively. They recognize problems and move swiftly to solve them. That's the hallmark of every stable football operation — something Carolina has severely lacked throughout Tepper's ownership to date.
Fixing the defense is the rightful priority above all else. Morgan won't completely neglect the weapons around quarterback Bryce Young in the draft, but there's also confidence in the building that players such as Xavier Legette, Jalen Coker, and Ja'Tavion Sanders can improve with another offseason under the same coaching staff.
Morgan got mixed returns from his first draft class. Most got decent playing time, even if their production was sketchy. If the Panthers can find some Day 1 contributors and some rotational assistance this time around, the better their chances will be.
Opportunity knocks for the Panthers in 2025. They won back respect around the league last season. Ensuring this becomes sustainable is the next challenge, which is often far trickier. Teams accomplish this by drafting well more often than not.
That's the challenge facing Morgan this offseason. And the pressure is on.