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

NFL post-schedule release power rankings still has Panthers near the bottom

Originally posted on Carolina Panthers on SI
By Russell Baxter | Last updated May 17, 2025 9:03 PM ET

Free agency has been reduced to dribs and drabs, the 2025 NFL draft is history, and this season’s schedule has been released. So why not an updated version of power rankings?

Via Pro Football Sports Network’s Stats and Insights, the Baltimore Ravens own the top spot, and the Cleveland Browns sit at No. 32. When it comes to Dave Canales’s Carolina Panthers, they are once again much closer to the bottom of the list than the top.

The Panthers are currently ranked 27th, four spots ahead of the rival Saints (31st), but quite a distance from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8th) and Atlanta Falcons (18th) when it comes to the NFC South. If these are to be believed, that’s the same order the teams finished in the division this past season.

All told, PFSN’s projected record for the Panthers is “6.3-10.7.” In other words, 6-11. That would be a one-win improvement from 2024. As for the overall reasoning?

“The Panthers have just a 5.7 percent chance to make the playoffs but a 3.5 percent chance of winning the NFC South. However, the PFSN FPM (Football Playoff Meter) gives them a 1.9 percent chance of winning the No. 1 overall pick, so it wouldn’t be all a loss this year. This ranking might feel harsh after the Panthers won two of their final three games, while also being competitive in losses to the likes of the Chiefs and Eagles. Carolina undeniably showed progress late in 2024, ranking 11th in offensive EPA (Expected Points Added) from Week 9 on, with Bryce Young finally exhibiting promise down the stretch.”

The site did point out at least one positive. “The Panthers did invest in facilitating Young’s development in the draft, picking Tetairoa McMillan No. 8 overall. That gives Carolina a far more well-rounded receiver room, as McMillan gives them the type of vertical ball-winner that hasn’t been consistently present in Charlotte for years.”

So why such a disappointing rankings? “The main factor keeping Carolina this low is its defense, which graded out as the worst since the 2020 Lions by Defense+ and allowed the most points in a season in NFL history. The Panthers did double down on edge rushers in Nic Scourton and Princely Umanmeilen, and Lathan Ransom, with a chance to start right away, was a nice Day 3 selection. Still, if this is again one of the worst defenses in 2025, it’s easy to imagine the Panthers losing several shootouts and picking high again in 2026.”

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

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