The Carolina Panthers finished the 2024 season with a record of 5-12. That's not a great feeling, but if they look at how things went in the second half, there's a reason to believe this year can be better. Carolina started 1-7, but went 4-5 in their final five games. Most importantly, they saw growth from quarterback Bryce Young.
Heading into the 2025 season, they're looking to take the next step. While they need to continue building around Young, they must also fix their defense — which was a mess last year. That's why an impact defender is considered a must at No. 8 overall in the NFL draft.
Bleacher Report's Brad Gagnon knows that has to happen and says it would be a "nightmare scenario" if an early run on defenders left Carolina without an impact player at a position of need.
"An early run on defensive players like Travis Hunter, Abdul Carter, Mason Graham, Jalon Walker, Malaki Starks and Will Johnson leaves a team in desperate need of a high-impact defender without any primo options on that side of the ball in the No. 8 spot." — Gagnon, Bleacher Report
The good news is that this is highly unlikely to happen. Gagnon names six players who could help the Panthers, and while technically those six could be selected, that would mean just one team ahead of them would have to select an offensive player. With Cam Ward expected to go first to the Tennessee Titans, that seems like a stretch.
Ward's selection would then mean the six players named by Gagnon would have to be selected consecutively.
That said, the Panthers are still going to have an impact defender available to them in Round 1.
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