Panthers land in humiliating spot in offseason NFL power rankings

The Carolina Panthers are going into the upcoming season with optimism, but the team has still yet to prove much.

After finishing 5-12 last season, the Panthers need to likely double their win total for a chance at making the playoffs.

Sportsnaut contributor Matt Johnson conducted a recent power rankings and feels like the Panthers need a lot of work to get to where they want to go. He placed the Panthers at No. 28 on his list.

"It wasn’t a home-run offseason for the Carolina Panthers, but much of that was out of their control," Johnson wrote.

"Milton Williams spurned them at the last minute and there wasn’t a No. 1 wide receiver available in free agency. So, Carolina drafted Tetairoa McMillan to give Bryce Young a go-to weapon and they invested a lot of money and draft capital to overhaul the worst NFL defense in 2024. Still, we’re looking at a seven-win team in the best-case scenario for next season."

The only teams that ranked lower than the Panthers were the New York Jets, Cleveland Browns, Tennessee Titans and New Orleans Saints.

The Panthers have a lot of work to do if they want to get back towards the top of the list, but with the momentum flowing inside the organization at this time, things could be looking up for Carolina.

The Panthers are currently enjoying their final vacation before the season, which ends when the rookies report to training camp on July 21 and veterans on July 22.