Breaking Down the Panthers' Uninspiring Low-Ranked Roster

CBS Sports' Jordan Dajani and Tyler Sullivan dropped their rankings of the best rosters in the NFL entering 2026. Starting with the bottom half of the league, Carolina slotted in at No. 24 overall, the lowest of any 2025 division champion.

The No. 24 ranking feels low on the surface, considering this is a team that won their division and was one Matthew Stafford two-minute drive away from upsetting the Los Angeles Rams in the Wild Card round.

It's not a significant change, but Carolina's roster should be ranked roughly two spots higher than the Washington Commanders and New York Giants.

The Giants have one big health scare at the top of their depth chart, and Washington might have the worst offensive line in the NFL after LT Laremy Tunsil got hurt.

All that said, Carolina's roster is rightfully low, and there are plenty of position groups to point to as to why.

Units That Hold Panthers Roster Back From Being Elite

In their breakdown of the Panthers roster, Dajani and Sullivan point to the tight ends room as "the bad." Truth be told, the tight ends room is just that; it's bad.

There's no high ceiling; even with Darren Waller joining the team, Carolina doesn't have a franchise tight end who can be both a go-to weapon and a safety blanket for Bryce Young.

Carolina's top three tight ends, Tommy Tremble, Mitchell Evans, and Ja'Tavion Sanders, combined for just over 600 yards receiving in 2025. Thats simply awful, and while Waller is better, he's also 33 years old; who knows what type of production he'll bring.

Dajani and Sullivan rightfully pointed out the biggest question mark on the roster: the offensive line. Experience as a unit and continuity are so important for an offensive line. Carolina has none of that entering 2026.

The Panthers will see new starters at left and right tackle, and center when the season begins. No matter how much talent an offensive line has, there will be growing pains as they still learn to play together and build chemistry with Bryce Young.

The other biggest question, which wasn't mentioned in the breakdown, is whether Young is actually capable of leading a franchise. The late-game heroics are great, but consistent production and early-game management remain areas for improvement for Young.

With a potentially huge contract looming, theres no bigger question mark for the Panthers, and until it's answered, Carolina won't get any sort of preseason praise.