NFL analyst Kevin Patra has made roster suggestions for all 32 teams in the league. Even though the Panthers are the NFC South champions, Patra had something more drastic for them. According to Sports Illustrated, his suggestions are aimed at improving the Panthers’ bottom-of-the-league statistics.
General manager Dan Morgan has gone on the record multiple times in stating that he wants to upgrade the pass rush. We know he was in on Milton Williams last offseason before the DT picked New England. Morgan should fish in the free-agent pool and a deep edge draft class to overhaul the crew.
Patra’s suggestions may sound a bit overdrawn, but the Panthers have been working on it before he even spoke up about it. They drafted Nic Scourton, who was the second-round draft pick, and Princely Umanmielen, who was a third-rounder. Additionally, the Panthers also signed veteran player Patrick Jones II. Only Scourton managed to live up to the expectations during the season.
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Carolina Panthers Are Too Comfortable Staying At The Bottom
As mentioned by Patra, “Nic Scourton had a nice first season, leading the club with 31 pressures and five sacks.” Meanwhile, Umanmielen had a forgettable debut season in the league with 20 defensive stops and 1.5 sacks. Their experienced ace could only play four games during the season. Jones was on the injured reserve most of the season with nine tackles and one sack.
The 2025 season was only a continuation of the Panthers’ highly concerning statistics for three years. In 2023, their 27 quarterback traps made them finish dead last in the league. In 2024, their 32 sacks were only good enough to put them ahead of two teams. In 2025, the Carolina Panthers were once again 28th in the league with only 30 sacks.
A total of 89 sacks in 51 games throughout three seasons makes it seem like the Panthers aren’t even trying. In comparison, the Broncos already have 131 sacks in 34 games since 2024. Not only sacks, but the Panthers also have one of the worst numbers when it comes to quarterback pressure. Their pressure rate is 14.7% ranks them as 31st in the league.
With a league-low of 148 quarterback pressure in 2025, their pressure rate has steadily declined since 2023, when it was 17.2%. Their only positive from the 2025 season was the fact that they allowed only 20 touchdowns in 17 regular-season games. The Panthers’ defense has made some improvements, but it’s still far from adequate – an issue they need to address during the off-season.
Published: Feb 5, 2026 05:45 am