Feb 25, 2025; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Carolina Panthers general manager Dan Morgan speaks during the NFL Scouting Combine at the Indiana Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Dan Morgan is leaving all options on the table for Panthers' first-round pick

Originally posted on Carolina Panthers on SI
By Zach Roberts | Last updated Apr 15, 2025 2:00 PM ET

To defend or offend, that is the question the Carolina Panthers face in the 2025 draft. Do they take a playmaker to help Bryce Young continue his ascent? Or do they continue to work on rebuilding a historically poor defensive unit? That's what GM Dan Morgan has to figure out in a couple of weeks.

All signs have pointed to defense being the pick. It's the most glaring need even after a free agency spending spree. There are also a lot more good defenders that'll be there at eight than pass-catchers, which makes it easy. It's Tetairoa McMillan vs. a host of defenders, so the odds lean to the defensive side.

However, GM Dan Morgan isn't going to be boxed in, he said on Tuesday. The GM may take a defensive player, but he's not going to do so just because that seems to be the path he should take. He'll do it for the best player, but that does leave the door open for an offensive pick.

Dan Morgan says the Panthers won’t ‘’box ourselves in’’ to taking a defensive player in the first round. pic.twitter.com/8QtRlF9jAV
— David Newton (@DNewtonespn) April 15, 2025

The GM has said plenty that he's willing, and he seems more than willing and in fact eager, to trade down. That could change the entire dynamic. Suddenly, if the Panthers are picking 15th instead of eighth, the playmaker makes a lot more sense.

It ultimately remains to be seen what the Panthers are going to do, but that seems to be Morgan's ideal situation. The Panthers could do anything, and that gives them leverage over the rest of the NFL when it comes to trading down. It also gives them the chance to pick a truly useful player regardless of position.

This article first appeared on Carolina Panthers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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