Rookie from South Carolina named UDFA with best chance to make Panthers roster

The Carolina Panthers went out of their way to improve all three levels of their defense in free agency. Most of their resources naturally went towards plugging the giant holes up front in their interior defensive line rotation. They also splurged for a big upgrade at safety and paid a heavy price to keep their strong cornerback room intact.

One position group that didn't see a whole lot of investment was the inside linebacker room - and that's likely going to come back and haunt them. Thanks to the release of Josey Jewell - who's still suffering concussion symptoms from last season - Carolina's linebacker unit is now almost certainly the thinnest in the entire NFL.

For now Christian Rozeboom has taken over at the top fo the rotation and inherited the green dot. Then there's a big gap between Rozeboom and Trevin Wallace, followed by another large gap between Wallace and the rest of the unit.

On the positive side, this does open up opportunities for potential gems nobody saw coming, even undrafted free agents. According to Bleacher Report, the one UDFA with the best chance of making the Panthers' roster is former South Carolina linebacker Bam Martin-Scott.

B/R on Bam Martin-Scott

"The 25-year-old began his football career at a community college before transferring to the South Carolina Gamecocks program. He never became a full-time starter, but contributed more and more each season. During his final season on campus, Martin-Scott produced a career-high 67 tackles, nine tackles for loss and two forced fumbles. He is an aggressive defender with a quick trigger, and he's going to deliver a blow upon contact. Those traits can also take him out of position. Still, he has "admirers" among the Panthers' coaching staff, according to Darin Gantt of the team's official site."

All together, Martin-Scott (6-foot-2, 230 pounds) appeared in 40 games for the Gamecocks, totaling 121 tackles (14 for a loss), 4.5 sacks, six pass breakups and three forced fumbles. Here's the highlight reel from his 2024 season.

Bam Martin-Scott 2024 highlights