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If the Carolina Panthers are going to improve on offense or not in 2026 is an open question. While they have a couple of promising new wide receivers, so much of that progress depends on quarterback Bryce Young and how big of a step forward he can take in his fourth season.
One thing they should be able to bank on is continued improvement from their defense, which went from historically awful in 2024 to middle-of-the-road in 2025. And now, they're getting a lot of buzz as a potential top-10 unit overall.
Although not everyone likes their big free-agent acquisitions up front, Ted Nguyen of The Athletic seems to believe the additions of both Jaelan Phillips and Devin Lloyd will pay off. Nguyen has included Carolina on his list of NFL defenses that are poised to break out during the upcoming campaign:
Their run defense should be penciled in for significant progress thanks to Lloyd and Lee Hunter, their second-round pick from the spring. Plus, their coverage on the backend has improved by leaps and bounds—especially since bringing Mike Jackson into their cornerback room.
The one big x-factor that's been missing all along is their pass rush, which produced just 30 sacks (tied for the third-fewest in the league) and a 16.5-percent pressure rate (second-lowest). Defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero simply refuses to blitz as a matter of principle, so any improvement here is going to have to come from better production from their front seven.
Most of all, that means Phillips and Lloyd bringing their talents to the table—but outside linebackers Nic Scourton and Princely Umanmielen also have to step up and do their part in their second seasons.
Follow @ThePanthersWire on Twitter/X for more Panthers content.
This article originally appeared on Panthers Wire: NFL analyst makes exciting prediction on Panthers defense for 2026
Continue reading...
One thing they should be able to bank on is continued improvement from their defense, which went from historically awful in 2024 to middle-of-the-road in 2025. And now, they're getting a lot of buzz as a potential top-10 unit overall.
Although not everyone likes their big free-agent acquisitions up front, Ted Nguyen of The Athletic seems to believe the additions of both Jaelan Phillips and Devin Lloyd will pay off. Nguyen has included Carolina on his list of NFL defenses that are poised to break out during the upcoming campaign:
Their run defense should be penciled in for significant progress thanks to Lloyd and Lee Hunter, their second-round pick from the spring. Plus, their coverage on the backend has improved by leaps and bounds—especially since bringing Mike Jackson into their cornerback room.
The one big x-factor that's been missing all along is their pass rush, which produced just 30 sacks (tied for the third-fewest in the league) and a 16.5-percent pressure rate (second-lowest). Defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero simply refuses to blitz as a matter of principle, so any improvement here is going to have to come from better production from their front seven.
Most of all, that means Phillips and Lloyd bringing their talents to the table—but outside linebackers Nic Scourton and Princely Umanmielen also have to step up and do their part in their second seasons.
Follow @ThePanthersWire on Twitter/X for more Panthers content.
This article originally appeared on Panthers Wire: NFL analyst makes exciting prediction on Panthers defense for 2026
Continue reading...
