SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA - DECEMBER 30: Deebo Samuel Sr. #1 of the San Francisco 49ers warms up prior to the start of an NFL football game against the Detroit Lions at Levi's Stadium on December 30, 2024 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
Panthers GM Dan Morgan ranks defensive needs after woeful 2024 season: ‘A lot of holes to fill’…
The Carolina Panthers know to continue their turnaround, the defense must improve in 2025.
Panthers general manager Dan Morgan has been open about the necessity of upgrading a defense that was woeful in 2024. In a sit-down with Anish Shroff, the club’s play-by-play announcer, this week from the NFL Scouting Combine, Morgan was asked directly how he’d rank the defensive needs.
“I think you go interior D-line, you go outside linebacker, you go safety. And then, obviously, we need another corner,” Morgan said. “So there is a lot of holes to fill. It’s not gonna happen overnight. But I think as we move through free agency and we move through the draft, I think things will start to kind of come together and the puzzle will start coming together a little clearer.”
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Starting with the interior line makes sense for a Carolina club run over last season like a pebble on a NASCAR track. Its 3,057 rushing yards allowed last season was third-most all-time. Giving up 179.8 rushing yards a game is an insane figure. It’s not sustainable to win that way. Losing run-stuffer Derrick Brown in the opener certainly hurt, but the Panthers need more beef regardless of the Pro Bowler’s return.
More edge help, with Jadeveon Clowney their top pass rusher in 2024, is also a clear need. Carolina generated a league-low 25.5 percent quarterback pressure rate last season. Its 152 pressures also ranked 32nd.
The Panthers have just one safety currently under contract, former undrafted free agent Demani Richardson.
The holes are huge for the Panthers defense. So, while most of the focus the past two years has been on the offense around Bryce Young, it’s the defense that needs loads of attention in 2025.
Panthers’ dreams of trading back surge after edge-rushing clinic at NFL Combine..
The Carolina Panthers’ hopes of trading back in the 2025 NFL Draft received a boost.
The Carolina Panthers have a long time to wait before their first and second-round picks in the 2025 NFL Draft. Dan Morgan could rectify this by trading back from No. 8 overall if the right offer comes along.
This is not a top-heavy draft. The consensus league-wide suggests that the standard is pretty much the same after the select few elite-level prospects come off the board. The real value lies on day two, especially along the defensive line, at edge rusher, and the tight end position.
Morgan managed to get a second-round selection he’s giving up to the Chicago Bears as the final piece in the Bryce Young transaction following a draft day trade with the Los Angeles Rams in 2024. Unfortunately for the Panthers, that doesn’t come until No. 57 overall.
Moving up for a prospect of interest couldn’t be dismissed, especially considering Carolina has nine picks. To accomplish this feat, moving down from No. 8 is almost essential.
The Panthers’ chances of finding a willing suitor increased after a starring performance from some intriguing edge-rushing prospects at the NFL Scouting Combine. James Pearce Jr. and Shemar Stewart were among those who bolstered their stock considerably, displaying exceptional athleticism, premier explosiveness, and fluid movements that are always highly coveted in the pros.
Carolina Panthers GM Dan Morgan open to trading down in the 2025 NFL Draft
If a particular team is enamored with either Pearce, Stewart or someone else, it works in the Panthers’ favor. And based on Morgan’s comments to WFNZ’s Mac and Bone Show, he is open for business.
“We’re going to be prepared for every scenario. I don’t see us trading up. I do see the potential of us trading back and picking up more picks. That’s always a possibility, but we’re going to play all the different scenarios and we’re going to be ready when the time comes.”
Dan Morgan
This is a peculiar draft. There is no Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels, Young, or C.J. Stroud at the quarterback position. Some analysts believe just one — Miami’s Cam Ward — is a lock to go in the top 10.
There’s time for that to change, but it makes it more difficult to find a trade-down partner from Carolina’s perspective. It’s also an outstanding group on the edge, so teams could bide their time and wait for someone to drop rather than give up assets.
As Morgan stated, he’ll be ready for anything. The front-office leader got a mixed return from his first draft class, but nobody ended up being an outright bust. If the Panthers can maximize their rich bounty this spring and the 2024 crop of college recruits develop accordingly, Carolina will be in a much more profitable position.
Looking at the pass-rushing performances at the NFL Scouting Combine, several could go higher than anticipated. Teams always draft players for what they will potentially become in the pros rather than any college achievements. If they believe someone like Pearce, Stewart, or Nic Scourton can be a legitimate difference-maker, moving up to secure their services is a legitimate possibility.
