Panthers stunting young player's growth with mystifying development strategy

The Carolina Panthers knew they needed help with their pass rush last offseason after being forced to part ways with Brian Burns, so they used a third-round draft pick on Kentucky Wildcats linebacker Trevin Wallace.

Wallace enjoyed a very impressive final season at Kentucky, rattling off 80 tackles, nine tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks. He finished with 10 sacks throughout his three-year career with the Wildcats, displaying obvious pass-rushing acumen.

You would then think that the Panthers would have spent some time developing Wallace as an edge rusher on the NFL level, but instead, they stuck him at inside linebacker.

Wallace showed flashes during his rookie campaign, posting 64 tackles and a sack in 13 games. He suffered a shoulder injury late in the season that required surgery, but he should be good to go for next season.

Considering how valuable edge rushers are in the modern NFL landscape, Carolina should absolutely be investing some time into potentially moving Wallace outside. Based on his time in college, it's clear that he knows how to get to opposing quarterbacks, and with the Panthers having totaled just 32 sacks in 2024, maybe they should try utilizing him as an edge?

Carolina just released Jadeveon Clowney, a failed experiment that never should have been attempted to begin with. Now, the Panthers are hoping that rookies Nic Scourton and Princely Umanmielen as well as free-agent signing Pat Jones can help fix the problem. Carolina also has veteran DJ Wonnum, who will hopefully be healthy for 2025.

But perhaps the Panthers' answer—or at least one of them—to their pass-rushing issue was right under their noses all of last season?

Yes, Wallace did play inside at Kentucky, so changing his position carries some risk, but it could also completely unlock his potential.

This is something Carolina should at least toy with during camp.