From where we're sitting the Carolina Panthers have done a great deal to improve their roster since the end of the 2024 season. On offense they landed a couple of serious upgrades, one in their backfield with free agent running back pickup Rico Dowdle, and another out wide with top-10 overall draft pick Tetairoa McMillan at wide receiver.
The Panthers also plugged holes at all three levels of their defense in free agency. However, some analysts remain entirely unconvinced that this team is actually better than last season. According to a new list from Matt Johnson at Sportsnaut, Carolina only has the 30th best roster in the NFL right now.
Panthers roster ranked 30th in NFL
"All that really matters for the Carolina Panthers in 2025 is this offensive line keeping Bryce Young upright and the third-year quarterback building off what he showed last season. Carolina does have a good offensive line and the future at wide receiver is bright with the tandem of Tetairoa McMillan and Xavier Legette. Defensively, Derrick Brown is back and Jaycee Horn could be an elite cornerback if he stays healthy. Outside of that core group, except for Nic Scourton, Ja’Tavion Sanders and Trevon Moehrig, there’s little to like on the roster."
Only the Cleveland Browns and the New Orleans Saints ranked lower on the list, as they should. If it were our call to make, Carolina would at a minimum also rank higher than the Titans, the Jets, the Colts, the Giants, the Falcons and the Raiders - which woud put them at No. 24 or No. 23 rather than No. 30 in the league.
The regular season will decide who's right in this debate - those who think the Panthers have taken a big step forward and those who believe they're still the same old pretender they have been since the end of the 2017 season.
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