D.J. Johnson - Carolina Panthers OLB
It came as no surprise to see the Carolina Panthers address their edge rushing room during the draft. Dan Morgan resisted the urge to take one at No. 8 overall in favor of wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan. Although surprising to some, the general manager got aggressive in rectifying this issue on Day 2.
Morgan traded up in the second and third rounds for edge-rushing help. Nic Scourton was the first, and the Panthers had a late first-round grade on the player. That wasn't all, Carolina also moved up for Princely Umanmielen, which adds another level of explosiveness that was sorely lacking previously.
This doesn't bode well for D.J. Johnson's chances of making an impression next season. The Panthers traded up to land the aging development project at No. 80 overall in 2023. It was a bizarre move at the time, reeking of panic and desperation from Scott Fitterer when other prospects of interest began to fly off his board.
Johnson flashed against the run but offered almost nothing from a pass-rushing standpoint. With D.J. Wonnum and Jadeveon Clowney still around, coupled with the addition of Patrick Jones II in free agency to consider, the former Oregon prospect could be on the outside looking in.
That places him among the long list of rash gambles by previous regimes that never paid off.
Nick Scott - Carolina Panthers S
One of the more surprising moves throughout the Carolina Panthers' offseason was re-signing safety Nick Scott. The veteran got a new one-year deal when all hope seemed lost. That raised a few eyebrows, especially considering how poorly he performed when tasked with responsibilities on the defensive rotation.
The Panthers reportedly see Scott as a special-teams ace. There weren't many examples of that, so the onus is on the player to repay this surprising faith.
Scott's margin for error got finer after the Panthers selected Lathan Ransom. The Ohio State graduate is riding on the crest of a wave following his college football national championship triumph with the Buckeyes. He's got a lot of likable physical traits. The defensive back also has the versatility to play in the box or drop back into coverage if the situation dictates.
This is something the Panthers needed. Tre'von Moehrig will help after Carolina gave him a megabucks deal in free agency. There's also hope for Demani Richardson after his rookie flashes. That won't be enough, so Ransom's presence will help greatly if his transition goes according to plan.
Scott will have a place on the roster unless another body is acquired. But that won't be the case for much longer.