Carolina Panthers' revamped unit getting no love in NFL analyst's rankings

The Carolina Panthers dumped a bunch of resources into their defense this offseason, and rightfully so.

The Panthers sported one of the worst defenses in the NFL last season, with the unit ranking 32nd, 23rd, 32nd and 32nd in total yards, passing yards, rushing yards and points allowed per game.

Carolina spent big money bringing in defensive linemen Tershawn Wharton and Bobby Brown III, safety Tre'von Moehrig and outside linebacker Patrick Jones.

The Panthers also spent significant draft capital on the unit after adding edge rushers Nic Scourton and Princely Umanmielen, safety Lathan Ransom and defensive tackle Cam Jackson.

Those new Panthers join a defense headlined by cornerback Jaycee Horn, defensive lineman Derrick Brown, edge rusher D.J. Wonnum and inside linebacker Josey Jewell.

Despite the slew of additions, Warren Sharp of Sharp Football analysis isn't too optimistic. He ranked the Panthers' front-seven as the No. 29 group in the NFL entering 2025.

"The Panthers front seven fell into the bottom five of this year’s voting after sitting at 23 last year. Carolina drafted Nic Scourton in the second round and added Patrick Jones in free agency," Sharp wrote.

It's definitely fair to be skeptical of the Panthers' defense, especially when it comes to the edge rushers.

Scourton and Umanmielen are unproven and Wonnum is coming off a season in which he played in just eight games due to injury and tallied four sacks. The addition of Jones no doubt bolsters this group, though.

Making things even more shaky, the Panthers cut veteran Jadeveon Clowney. Granted, he's no great shakes, but parting ways with Clowney shortens Carolina's depth along the edge and leaves the defense more reliant on its younger players.

Things are looking better along the defensive line, though, as a trio of the Browns and Wharton should be a formidable group. The inside linebacker squad headed by Jewell and Christian Rozeboom has the potential to be solid, also.

While we're not ready to sit here and crown the Panthers' front-seven elite, there's more than enough there to place them in a higher spot.