The 2025 NFL Draft is tonight (Thursday) and, as usual, the Carolina Panthers need help at a number of positions.
The Panthers have seven consecutive losing seasons and have not made the playoffs since 2017. I feel there is a glimmer of optimism coming into the upcoming season. Bryce Young, who looked overwhelmed as a rookie and in the first two games of 2024, showed visible improvement after being benched and sitting behind Andy Dalton for five games.
If you remember, Carolina ended the 2024 season playing quite well even though wins did not come with the improved play. Young finished strong even though the team ended the campaign with a three game losing streak. The Panthers had the Chiefs on the ropes, but lost on a last-second field goal. They lost to the Buccaneers in overtime and nearly beat the Eagles in Philly but rookie Xavier Legette couldn’t hold onto a deep toss from Young that would have been a touchdown in the game’s final minute.
The goal heading into this weekend’s draft has to be improving the defense, which was historically bad last season.
The numbers are somewhat depressing, especially when you consider this team allowed an NFL-record 534 points in 2024, and also surrendered a league-high 35 touchdown passes this past season.
The Carolina Panthers managed only 32 sacks in 17 games, tied for the third-fewest in the NFL. That’s off a 2023 campaign in which the club was dead last in the league with 27 sacks.
The position of need on defense has to be an edge rusher. Carolina has to find a way to pressure opposing quarterbacks. Look for the Panthers to land a pass rusher from Georgia with their first round pick (No. 8 overall). Either Mykel Williams or Jalon Walker would look good in a Carolina uniform.
I hope the Panthers take a receiver for Young in the early rounds. I like Jaylin Noel, a wide receiver out of Iowa State. Carolina struggles to come up with big plays on offense. Even with a hopeful second half under Young, the offense averaged the third-lowest yards per passing attempt (6.3) and were tied for the seventh-fewest completions of at least 20 yards (43).
Noel, a twitchy pass-catching threat, could add that much-needed dimension. The 5-foot-10, 194-pounder can use his speed and suddenness to create space both as a route runner and a ball carrier, and is capable of taking the top off of opposing defenses. In addition, his experience as a returner would be a nice bonus for Carolina.
