The Carolina Panthers won the NFC South last season and nearly beat the Los Angeles Rams in the wild-card playoff round. But their progress is still being met with skepticism.
Christopher Kline of FanSided ranked Carolina last among NFC South teams in his post-draft rankings. The reasoning? "The Panthers' ceiling is the lowest."
He pointed to Bryce Young's offensive limitations, a wide receiver room that wasn't addressed until the third round, and a defense he called "inconsistent all of last season."
Here's what Kline glossed over: Carolina had one of the more universally praised draft classes in the entire NFL.
Carolina Panthers deserve more credit for the way their project is unfolding
Pro Football Focus gave them an A+. CBS Sports handed out an A-. The Athletic ranked them 13th out of 32 teams. NFL.com graded them A-. ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. gave a B but called Monroe Freeling a potential Pro Bowler at left tackle.
Every NFC South ranking that buries Carolina leans on the same crutch: Young can't carry this offense. That may be true to a certain extent, but consider what the signal-caller is walking into in 2026.
He's got the same coaching staff for the third year in a row. The schematic concepts will be similar, though Brad Idzik may introduce some different nuances after Dave Canales gave up play-calling.
Young said it himself: "Last year it was a luxury, of knowing the book more, not having to learn something new and then feeling comfortable."Â
Kline said that Jaelan Phillips was overpaid and comes with injury concerns, and that's fair. The edge rusher has missed time throughout his career, and the contract was aggressive. But he wasn't the only notable addition this offseason.
The Panthers also signed linebacker Devin Lloyd and offensive tackle Rasheed Walker. They added nose tackle Lee Hunter's run-stuffing interior presence, brought in cornerback Will Lee III on Day 3, and grabbed safety Zakee Wheatley.
Here's the thing that FanSided's ranking does confirm: this division is chaos, and it was always going to be chaos.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield unraveled down the stretch. Their offense has real questions with Mike Evans gone. The New Orleans Saints are betting everything on Tyler Shough. And the Atlanta Falcons don't even know if Tua Tagovailoa or Michael Penix Jr. will be starting under center.
Every team in this division has a real question mark at the most important position on the field. Carolina's question mark is Young. But the Panthers have the most continuity, the clearest offensive identity, and the most proven head coach in the division.
That matters.
The Panthers won the NFC South in Year 2 under Canales, and they have a real shot to do it again in Year 3. Start giving them credit for it.
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