Panthers’ 2026 Defensive Investments Starting to Pay Off

Hence, Panthers’ general manager Dan Morgan added some reinforcements via Free agency and the draft in 2025. They included defensive linemen Tershawn Wharton and Bobby Brown, as well as pass rushers Nic Scourton and Princely Umanmielen—the team’s second- and third-round draft choices, respectively, that year.

Hence, Carolina certainly made some strides on this side of the ball, but there was more work to be done. The team still had a glaring weakness when it came to stopping the running game, and that issue reared its ugly head in the latter stages of ’25.

Panthers invested heavily on their defense this offseason

This offseason, Morgan wasted no time opening up the franchise’s checkbook in adding edge rusher Jaelan Phillips (4 years, $120 million) and 2025 Pro Bowler Devin Lloyd (3 years, $42 million). Meanwhile, veteran linebacker Bobby Okereke was a surprising addition in late August. Two games into the regular season, each has made their presence felt.

Now let’s be clear. All was certainly not totally well after a Week 1 performance in which Ejiro Evero’s unit allowed 552 total yards and eight offensive touchdowns in a 59-37 home loss to the Chicago Bears. While Lloyd finished the game with 13 tackles, the Panthers were gashed for 291 yards on the ground. The former Jaguars’ first-round pick finished the game with no impact plays.

Okereke finished with six tackles and a forced fumble, while Phillips had three stops and one of the team’s two sacks of Caleb Williams.

Devin Loyd was all over the field on Sunday vs. the Falcons

Lloyd rebounded with a vengeance at Atlanta this past Sunday, albeit against a Falcons’ team that has not shown a lot of life early in 2026. The five-year pro finished with nine tackles, one sack, a pair of interceptions (1 returned for a touchdown), and three passes defensed.

Okereke also had nine stops and a pick, while Phillips had a sack for the second consecutive game. All told, Atlanta was limited to 286 total yards and had more turnovers (5) than points in Carolina’s 34-3 triumph. Two weeks into the season, Canales’s team leads the league with six takeaways.

Sunday’s clash with the Browns in Cleveland is another opportunity for the Panthers to show that their defense may indeed be headed in the right direction. Evero’s unit did give up 157 yards on the ground to the Falcons, so this defense still has a lot to prove overall.