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An Overview of the Carolina Panthers Defense
Carolina moved from a 4-3 base defense to a 3-4 in 2023. It is common for teams to struggle with such a change in the first year, as they adjust and adapt personnel. By the second year, teams usually begin to show improvement. That was not the case with this unit as the Panthers turned in a dismal performance in 2024.
There is nothing for this group to hang their hats on. The pass rush was horrible, finishing 30th with 32 sacks. The pass defense was terrible, ranking 28th in yards per attempt and 20th in yards allowed, while giving up a league high 35 scores. The run defense made the pass defense look good. Carolina was dead last at 5.2 yards per carry, giving up the third most points on the ground, and the 3057 rush yards were a whopping 653 more than any other team. It is no wonder the Panthers allowed 31.4 points per game and 66 more than anyone else on the season. With numbers like that, there is nowhere to go but up.
As might be expected, injuries played a major role. The team's outstanding tackle, Derrick Brown, played 60 snaps before being lost for the season. The starting inside linebackers missed 18 games between them, and their best pass rusher played his first game in week ten. Getting healthy will go a long way, but the organization did much more than that. They used second and third-round picks on edge defenders, a fourth at safety, and a fifth on the interior line. There were no super star additions in free agency, but Carolina signed five players who will contribute, including three possible starters.
Carolina Panthers Defensive Linemen
When Brown tore his meniscus in week one, it set the stage for the debacle that was the Panthers' defense last year. He was the seventh overall pick in 2020. Over his first two seasons, it looked as if Brown might not live up to his draft status. He was solid on the field while anchoring the defense from the nose tackle position, recording modest tackle numbers with five sacks. His production perked up in year three with 67 combined stops, 7 batted passes, and two splash plays.
The Panthers hired Ejiro Evero as defensive coordinator in 2023, making the change to a 3-4. What a difference it made for Brown in his fourth year. At 56-49-2, his 105 combined stops were 16 more than any other player at the position. Even without great splash play numbers, he was the fantasy game's number two tackle, finishing 33 points ahead of number three. We didn't see enough of him last year to prove that his monster season was not a mirage, so that risk still exists. That said, I believe it was the scheme change and his move to the outside tackle spot that flipped the switch. Brown may never put up more than three or four sacks in a season, but even if it slips a little, the gaudy tackle production should be enough to make him a strong DT1.
There is uncertainty about who will start at the other outside tackle position. A'Shawn Robinson opened last season there. The nine-year veteran went on to record the best numbers of his career across the board at 43-37-5. The 2016 second-round pick of the Lions has started for all four teams he has played for, yet some believe that free agent signee Tershawn Wharton will get the call. I will believe that when I see it. What would not be a surprise, however, would be one of them playing nose tackle to get both of them on the field.
Wharton is a six-year, former undrafted free agent who spent most of his first five seasons as a rotational backup for the Chiefs before breaking into a starting lineup last year. While he should see significant time either way, I expect Wharton to work in the familiar role of third man.
Both Robinson and Wharton put up the best numbers of their respective careers in 2024. Robinson's were enough to make him top five at the position. Meanwhile, Wharton's 18-11-6.5 put him outside of the first 40. Put this competition on the watch list. Whoever wins the bigger role should be roster-worthy at the least.
The Panthers' edge position accounted for eleven sacks in 2024. If the team is to start climbing the ladder, they will need much more from the group in 2025. A healthy D.J. Wonnum should be able to deliver. A fourth-round pick of the Vikings in 2020, he was on-and-off as a starter for Minnesota, seeing a lot of time as the third man. Wonnum recorded 23 sacks over four years there, while contributing good tackle numbers on a per-snap basis.
A quad injury shut Wonnum down in 2023. Complications with the subsequent surgery kept him off the field for the first nine games in 2024. Over the final eight contests, he was 18-19-4 with a forced fumble. Project those numbers over a full season, and we get production that would make him a major fantasy factor at roughly 39-41-8.5.
Jadeveon Clowney tied with Robinson for the team lead at 5.5 sacks last season. With Clowney gone, second-round pick Nic Scourton is penciled in as the starter opposite Wonnum. The rookie could be in for a productive first season. As a sophomore at Purdue in 2023, he produced 50 combined tackles, 10 sacks, a forced fumble, and 3 batted passes. Scourton transferred to Texas A&M last year, where he added 37 tackles, 5 sacks, a forced fumble, and 2 batted passes. For a player forgoing his senior season, Scourton played a lot of football in college.
Scourton checks the box for college production, but it's his scouting reports that raise eyebrows. At six feet three inches and 257 pounds, He has the size, power, and will to be effective versus the run. As a pass rusher, he can be special. Scourton lacks elite speed or quickness, but already has an arsenal of moves and knows how to use them to set up blockers. Most interesting was the NFL comparison of respected analyst Lance Zierlein, who says Scourton reminds him of a young Trey Hendrickson.
The Panthers did not use a lot of bodies in their rotation last year. It's hard to say if that was by design or simply because they were short on depth. Patrick Jones II followed his former Vikings teammate to Carolina in free agency and is the favorite to be the third man on the edge. Johnson spent most of his four years in Minnesota working as a third-down specialist. The 39 tackles and 7 sacks he put up last year were career highs. Jones will compete for playing time with holdover DJ Johnson and third-round rookie Princely Umanmielen.
Umanmielen is an interesting prospect. He will need some seasoning as a run defender, which could limit his use for a while, but Umanmielen is an accomplished pass rusher. He had 14 sacks over four years at Florida before playing at Ole Miss in 2024. The one season with the Rebels produced 37 tackles, 10.5 sacks, 2 turnovers, and a score.
- Edge D.J. Wonnum – Solid second starter with top-12 potential
- Edge Nic Scourton – Dynasty target who could surprise as a rookie
- Edge Patrick Jones II – Injury sleeper
- Edge D.J. Johnson – No impact expected
- Edge Princely Umanmielen – Dynasty sleeper with strong long-term potential
- DT Derrick Brown – target as low-end DT1 with top-five upside
- DT A'Shawn Robinson – sleeper with priority DT2 potential
- DT Tershawn Wharton – Watchlist sleeper
- DT Shy Tuttle – No impact expected
- DT LaBryan Ray – Injury sleeper with a low ceiling
- DT Bobby Brown III – Early down space eater with no fantasy value