There's no denying that the Carolina Panthers have improved a lot over the last couple of seasons—and a big part that growth has come on the defensive side of the ball.
In 2024, the team fielded what might've been the worst defense in league history—as they allowed the most points ever in a single season. But in 2025, with the return of Pro Bowl defensive lineman Derrick Brown and a few key additions, the unit made a big leap into the middle of the pack—ranking 16th overall.
Heading into 2026, this unit is better on paper than it's been at any time in the post-Luke Kuechly era—and should have a chance to finish among the NFL's top-10 scoring units. Some folks believe they have an even higher ceiling, though.
Panthers beat writer Joe Person, of
The Athletic, shared a very bold prediction on Monday morning—that Carolina will have a top-five defense this year. Person writes:
The Panthers’ defense was the NFL’s worst in 2024, when Carolina gave up 404.5 yards and 31.4 points a game, and became the fourth team in NFL history to allow 3,000 rushing yards. Derrick Brown’s return helped the Panthers climb back to respectability last season (16th in total defense). And they look poised to take another jump this year, following the additions of edge rusher Jaelan Phillips and linebackers Devin Lloyd and Bobby Okereke. The interior D-line depth is a little lean, but the back end should be in good shape, provided Mike Jackson repeats a successful 2025 while in a contract year.
That's a pretty spicy take, and just a little bit too hot for our palette.
We believe this group is getting better in all the right ways. However, ending with a top-five defense is a bar that's set too high.
To come even close to that mark, the Panthers would have to pull off a 180-degree turn with their pass rush—going from a bottom-five bunch for three years running to one of the best in the game. Signing Jaelan Phillips will help, but the outside linebacker room remains rather thin—especially after the season-ending knee injury to Nic Scourton.
Adding inside linebacker Devin Lloyd could also help, in theory, as he's an excellent pass rusher for his position. But we have to keep in mind that defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero almost never blitzes on principle—so unless that core philosophy changes, Lloyd is unlikely to make much of an impact in this department.
As far as their strengths go, the Panthers should benefit from finally having two (very) capable starting 'backers in Lloyd and Bobby Okereke and are rostering a very strong secondary headed by cornerbacks Jaycee Horn and Mike Jackson and safety Tre'von Moehrig.
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This article originally appeared on Panthers Wire: Beat reporter makes very bold prediction for Panthers' 2026 season
