How the Panthers' Vaunted Secondary Stacks Up in NFL

“Carolina’s starting cornerback duo of Jaycee Horn and Mike Jackson is one of the best in football. We know all about Horn’s ability, but Jackson’s 85.8 PFF coverage grade was the second-best among cornerbacks last season, helped by his five interceptions. Carolina played the most zone coverage of any defense last season.”

Those five picks include a theft of Rams’ quarterback Matthew Stafford in Carolina’s home playoff loss to Sean McVay’s club. You may also recall that Jackson picked off the 2025 NFL MVP during a regular-season victory over the Rams in Week 13, returning the interception 48 yards for a score in the Panthers’ 31-28 victory. Meanwhile, Horn finished with a career-best five interceptions and was named to the Pro Bowl for the second consecutive year.

Safety Tre’von Moehrig was a big offseason pickup in 2025

There was also positive news elsewhere in the defensive backfield. “At safety,” added the Pro Football Focus staff, “Tre’von Moehrig was tied for the most tackles for loss or no gain among defensive backs (12). His 17 pressures were also the second-most of any safety.”

In his first season in Charlotte, Moehrig finished third on the team with 103 tackles. He also totaled three sacks, seven quarterback hits, and one interception. The former Las Vegas Raiders also add three stops in the playoff loss to the Rams.

So what about Moehrig’s counterpart at the other safety spot? Oddly, there was no mention by PFF regarding a fourth member of the starting secondary. This past season, veteran Nick Scott started all 17 regular-season games and finished second on the club with a career-high 109 defensive stops. He also amassed nine tackles in the wild card loss to the Rams. However, he managed only two takeaways and totaled just three passes defensed in 18 total contests.

Keep an eye on Panthers’ rookie S Zakee Wheatley

On the other hand, 2026 fifth-round pick Zakee Wheatley has seen plenty of action in three preseason outings, totaling a combined 18 tackles, along with a forced fumble. He led the team in stops vs. the Panthers (8) and Bills (7), and added three more tackles in the recent victory over the Jaguars. While the rookie defender got the starting nod in the Hall of Fame Game, Scott was in the opening lineup vs. Buffalo and Jacksonville.

Regardless, the Panthers’ defensive backfield is ranked in the upper half of the league. Perhaps a big year from either Scott or Wheatley (or both) could push this group further up the charts.