Hello CSR! Welcome to Brian Answers, part two of your weekly Panthers fan mailbag for everyone! We’re about a month away from the NFL Draft, which means you all have questions about the moves the Panthers have made, and how they will impact the NFL Draft. Lets dive right in!
@WTMealey: Who are some weaker links that you think are a non issue because they aren’t so bad and the players in their unit make up for it?
I think Chau Smith-Wade in the cornerback unit is going to be just fine if Carolina doesn’t
end up spending a high draft pick at the position. I don’t believe he was a liability for the defense so much as not having a consistent pass rush caused more of the issues in big games. They can certainly improve the nickel position, but between him and Corey Thornton, they don’t have to make a major adjustment if all of these off-season moves they’ve made can fix the pass rush.
SnarkyComet: How do you think our RB room shakes out next season, primarily our backups? Do we think the team is going to ease Brooks back into the fold, or is he gonna be good to go out of the gate? Where do you think Etienne fits with this dynamic? Do we possibly draft another RB to help bolster this group? I mean, in the very offchance that Jeremiyah Love falls to us, do we entertain that idea? More realistically, do we nab a RB somewhere in day 3? Talking it out, I know its a numbers game, and do we really roll with 4 RBs at the start of the season? I mean, we kicked Blackshear out to make it just 3 last year.
The Panthers added AJ Dillon this week since the question was asked. So the Panthers are currently rostering 4 RBs, but I don’t think that automatically means RB is off the table in the 2026 Draft. However, with Jonathon Brooks getting about as long a recovery window as one can for a torn ACL, this running back room might be complete in the coaches eyes. I think Chuba Hubbard is still the RB1 out the gate of the season, with Trevor Etienne and AJ Dillon working in specific packages to spell him. Jonathon Brooks could work himself into the rotation early if he’s healthy and ready to go, and if that’s the case we may see another split backfield with Brooks getting some of the carries Rico Dowdle got before Hubbard’s injury last year. But right now, it doesn’t seem like Carolina is desperate to add another RB to the fold.
Vashti2112: ..who are the plausible names that could conceivably fall that would be a “run to the podium” pick for you in round 1?
Dillon Thieneman is top of my list, despite my love for Nick Scott. He would add an instant playmaker/ball hawk skillset to the back end of the secondary. Same goes for Caleb Downs, if either of them make it to Carolina’s spot, I think you add them and don’t even blink. I’d also be down for Rueben Bain Jr if he falls too far due to his arm length.
storybook: Do you think fans are overlooking the secondary as a need? The team definitely needs a deep safety. I would also argue the CB depth is concerning. The team is counting on Horn to be healthy again and for Mike Jackson, who just turned 29, to not regress.
I don’t know if “fans” are overlooking the secondary as a need, but the Panthers managed to have a pretty solid group in 2025 despite a lackluster look on paper. I’m certainly someone who thinks adding a high end player to the secondary would really help this defense they are clearly trying to rebuild. But the corners were just fine, so if Carolina opts to add a linebacker or edge rusher in the draft, I think they can get by with the depth they have behind Jaycee Horn and Mike Jackson.
Hythloday: Do you think MLB deserves its reputation in the modern NFL for not being a premium position? I value it more than modern contracts seem to indicate teams do. Am I really supposed to believe JP will be 2-3x as impactful as Devin Lloyd on our defense?
I think the issue lies in that the top end of the interior linebacker position is so far and away better than the guys who are simply startable in the modern NFL. There aren’t as many teams with a guy at that position that one would call one of the better players in the NFL. Many teams can get by with a developmental guy or stop gap player if they invest in the defensive front they play behind. I personally think a great middle linebacker is really important, but they don’t exactly grow on trees. I agree that Devin Lloyd might have a bigger impact on this defense than Jaelan Phillips,simply because Carolina’s defense could really use a stabilizing force in the middle of their defense.
DannyLimes: what is a realistic win goal for me to have in mind next year?
I think 10 wins is a realistic goal for this team right now. It would be an improvement, and it would keep them in the playoff contention territory. I have a hard time going much above that until we see this team be more consistent on a week to week basis.
positivebob: How many starters come out of the draft and how many make the 53, and at who do they replace?
Can’t really answer that question until we actually see the picks. Carolina could opt to draft an offensive tackle or a quarterback where the pick might work out, but they aren’t necessarily a starter in year one. But for me, if Carolina can get out of the draft with 3-4 “starters”, that’s a massive success for this team and its current path.
brake23:I commented right before FA that Devin Lloyd and Deebo Samuel would both be great fits. With Devin Lloyd already here, do you see Deebo being an option? He’d fill the slot position, draw attention from the defense opening up the field for Tet, Coker and the run game. He could also fill in as our 4th RB, like he did in college and with SF, especially if Brooks or Chubba went down. He’d be back in the Carolinas and could help XL come along as well.
I actually think Deebo Samuel’s profile would be kind of redundant for Carolina. Jalen Coker already excels in the “big slot” role, and Xavier Legette’s best chance of being a contributor on this offense is also to fill that type of role. Carolina could certainly pay to bring a guy like Samuel in, but I think they’d be better off just experimenting with Legette in that role for this year. Now, if he could be signed for cheap, that would be a different story. But I think Carolina has enough pure talent at wide receiver that they don’t need to spend more capital on a guy like Deebo. Just my opinion, sound off below if you disagree.
Chef: So…Give me the position that we probably feel better about than we should?
Safety is my position. 17 game starter Nick Scott is returning, so Tre’Von Moehrig and Lathan Ransom will be allowed to go roam at the box safety role they are suited for. I’m certainly on board for a safety to be drafted, but this team doesn’t seem to value the position the way that many of us fans do. With an improved pass rush, we may not need to worry so much about that part of the secondary.
That’s all for this week, Panthers fans! Join us next week for another edition of the mailbag, and KEEP POUNDING!
