4 major draft needs for the Carolina Panthers after free-agent moves in 2023

Carolina Panthers need an edge rusher

Looking at the teams that won a playoff game during the 2022 season, one theme was common. You will not make it far in the postseason without a capable pass rush.

It isn't an accident that the final two teams were among the best at rushing the passer. For the Carolina Panthers to take the next step and return to the playoffs, they cannot simply be Brian Burns or bust when it comes to impacting the opposing quarterback.

The team needs someone else to come alongside Burns. This comes after making the mistake of letting Haason Reddick walk away during free agency in 2022.

Once the Panthers select their new franchise quarterback, the team's next draft pick should clearly either be a wide receiver or an edge rusher depending on who they believe to be the best player on their board.

Carolina doesn't need another star pass rusher but simply a capable one that can take advantage of all the attention Burns and Carolina's interior pass rush will require. The Panthers could opt to add multiple options in free agency and the draft, bringing in one of the many rotational veterans still on the free-agent market.

If the Panthers get their picks right in 2023, then a potential NFC South title might not be that far fetched during the first season under Frank Reich.