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, largely due to injuries. It took them an extra year, but they were finally heading in the right direction in 2025.
Last year's defense was not great and still had shortcomings. Considering the low bar that was set, mediocre was a vast improvement. Carolina was 16th in points, 14th in passing yards, and tied for 22nd in yards per attempt. The run defense was a little below average, ranking 20th, and the Panthers' 21 takeaways left them tied for 19th. The only aspect that was not improved was the pass rush. The 30 turnovers were two fewer than the previous count. The good news, if you want to spin it that way, is that they stayed at the same rank as the previous season, 28th.
The organization used several draft picks on defense last spring, including second and third-rounders on edge defenders. They invested four more selections on that side of the ball this spring, but only second-round tackle Lee Hunter came before day three. They were not big players in free agency either, at least not in terms of volume. They did land two players who will be considerable upgrades in edge Jaelan Phillips and inside linebacker Devin Lloyd.
With the young guys from the 2024 draft having a year of experience and the upgrades at two key positions, the Panthers should take another step in the right direction. If everyone stays healthy, they should improve to above average in 2026. They are not very deep in some places, though, so it would not take many injuries to derail this train.
Carolina Panthers Defensive Line
The Panthers give us one of the fantasy game's elite defensive tackles. Derrick Brown 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, switching to a 3-4. What a difference it made for Brown in his fourth year. Evero shifted him to the outside tackle spot. Brown took to the role, dominating on the field and in the box scores. 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.
Thanks to a week one injury, Brown played 60 snaps in 2024, so we didn't see enough of him to prove that his monster season was not a mirage. He fell short of the gaudy tackle totals from 2023, recording 33 solos and 40 assists. Add the 5 sacks, a forced fumble, and 7 swatted passes, however, and Brown landed squarely at third on the tackle list in 2025, removing any doubt.
At 6'5" and 320 pounds, Brown is a dominating physical presence. He is quick and agile for a man of that size, but sheer power is the strength of his game. We can't count on big sack totals from him. The five he recorded last year were a career high that he will be hard-pressed to improve upon. I will be surprised if he fails to improve on last year's solo tackles, though.
Brown was the top dog of the group, but the Panthers gave us a second good option at tackle as well. With 65 combined stops, 2.5 sacks, a fumble recovery, and 3 batted passes, A'Shawn Robinson checked in at number 13. He is similar in stature and play style to Brown, which gave Carolina a pair of huge outside tackles. Robinson moved on in free agency, leaving a hole.
Seven-year pro Tershawn Wharton served as the third man at the position last season and is the early favorite to land the starting job. He will face competition from veteran LaBryan Ray and last year's fifth-round pick Cam Jackson.
Wharton spent five seasons with the Chiefs before joining the Panthers last year. He started a lot of games for Kansas City, but was not much of an impact player on the stat sheet. He has never reached 20 solo stops or 30 combined in a season. Wharton had 6.5 sacks in 2024, but had no more than 2 in any other season, including last year, when he totaled 9-11-2. It's a bigger role in a different scheme, so there is a chance it will trigger a breakout. For now, I'm a little pessimistic about his chances of having a fantasy impact.
Ray is a long shot at best, but we should keep an eye on Cam Jackson. The Panthers like big tackles. Jackson is 6'6" and 328 pounds, with a huge wingspan. He saw fewer than 100 snaps as a rookie. The fact that he got on the field at all is a plus. With four career sacks, Jackson was not much of a pass-rush threat in college, but he was sturdy and productive against the run, totaling 69 stops in 23 games at Florida over his final two years.
The Panthers gave us nothing at the edge position in 2025. Rookie Nic Scourton was the best they had to offer at number 44. This season could look much different. With a year of service and 773 snaps under his belt (including the playoff game), Scourton could be a pleasant surprise.
Scourton made his first start in week three. By season's end, he had accumulated respectable totals for a rookie of 47 tackles, 5 sacks, a forced fumble, and a batted pass. The numbers were not eye-catching, but he made steady improvement as the season moved along. His first sack came in week seven, and he had 2 in the final four games.
Scourton is locked in as a starter entering 2026, with no one looking over his shoulder. Another plus is that the Panthers don't use a lot of players. He and D.J. Wonnum played over 700 regular-season snaps, with number three, Princely Umanmielen, working on fewer than 225.
It is tough being a rookie edge rusher in the NFL, especially if you are the team's best option at the position. Scourton performed well under those circumstances. This year he doesn't have to deal with all that pressure. The addition of Jaelan Phillips could be huge for everyone involved, including fantasy managers.
Injuries have been the biggest story of Phillips' career thus far. The 18th overall pick by Miami in 2021, he had a rookie season much like that of many elite players, with 23 tackles, 19 assists, 8.5 sacks, and a fumble recovery. In year two, the tackle number jumped to 37-23, and his turnovers doubled, but the sack total slipped to 7.
Year three was a breakout, at least half of it was. Phillips played eight games and was on pace to go 56-30-13 when he was lost for the season. He was active in just 4 games in 2024 and was limited in those. Phillips was traded to Philadelphia about halfway through the 2025 season. Bouncing between two teams, he managed 53 tackles, 5 sacks, 3 turnovers, and 4 batted passes. The best part is that he logged over 800 snaps and missed no time with injuries.
Phillips has the talent to become an elite, three-down edge defender. He is in a good scheme that will take advantage of his abilities, and he will play well over 700 snaps. Now that he has a fresh start and the injury nightmare behind him, this could finally be his breakout season.
Princely Umanmielen, Patrick Jones II, and Trevis Gipson will compete for what playing time is left. Jones and Gipson are veterans who have had their shots at starting in the past, but failed to take advantage. Umanmielen is not yet a fully known commodity. He has some upside if the opportunity comes.
- Edge Jaelan Phillips – Breakout candidate with injury risk
- Edge Nic Scourton – Second-year breakout candidate
- Edge Patrick Jones II – No impact
- Edge Trevis Gipson – No impact
- Edge Princely Umanmielen – Injury sleeper
- DT Derrick Brown – Elite DT1
- DT Tershawn Wharton – Unknown commodity in his new home
- DT Cam Jackson – Deep sleeper
- DT LaBryan Ray – No impact expected
- NT Lee Hunter – Two-down contributor
- NT Bobby Brown III – Marginal impact