Dan Morgan spent significant resources in pursuit of improving the Carolina Panthers' historically bad defense this offseason. This was the only realistic course of action, but one NFL analyst doesn't believe the acquisitions will be enough to make the necessary strides.
The Panthers' encouraging progress over the second half of 2024 was accomplished despite Ejiro Evero's woeful defensive unit. They gave up more than 3,000 rushing yards at 179.8 per game. They also wilted under the pressure to concede the most single-season points in league history to further compound their misery.
Morgan moved swiftly to fortify the trenches and add explosiveness to the edge-rushing room. That makes the roster more balanced on paper, but producing the goods in a competitive setting represents a different challenge entirely.
NFL analyst predicts more woes for Carolina Panthers defense in 2025
Matt Johnson from Sportsnaut provided a scathing assessment of Carolina's defensive signings, placing them at No. 30 in his post-draft power rankings. The analyst predicted more woes against the run, although he acknowledged they cannot possibly be as bad as last season.
"The Carolina Panthers tried to spend even more on this defense in free agency, but Milton Williams turned them down. At the very least, adding playmaking safety Tre’von Moehrig behind standout corner Jaycee Horn provides some optimism with this pass defense. Plus, Carolina is getting back standout defensive tackle Derrick Brown. The Panthers’ run defense is going to be awful again and they won’t fare that much better against the pass, but at least this unit won’t reach the abysmal lows we saw in 2024."Matt Johnson
Nobody is expecting the Panthers to become the 1985 Chicago Bears overnight. Even so, it would be a major disappointment if this unit didn't put up more of a fight next season.
The Panthers made some hefty investments, all of whom will be expected to contribute immediately. Morgan will also be expecting an immediate return from his two new edge rushers — Nic Scourton and Princely Umanmielen — whom he traded up to acquire on Day 2 of the draft.
Evero goes into the season firmly on the hot seat. His margin for error is long gone after some fans were calling for his removal this offseason. The Panthers held firm, believing his 3-4 base scheme could bear fruit once the personnel improved.
Morgan has done that through free agency and the draft. The Panthers' defense isn't the finished article just yet, but it won't take long for the finger-pointing to begin if things start sluggishly in 2025.