According to ESPN, only two teams have a roster worse than the Carolina Panthers. There isn’t much to be said about a team that won five games last season. The Panthers continue to struggle, with seemingly no end in sight.
Even though they went from two wins to five, ESPN didn’t see enough to rank them much higher. Avoiding a last place finish last season, the Panthers will once again be led by Bryce Young. Entering his third year in the league, the Alabama graduate showed tremendous signs of growth towards the end of the 2024 season.
Carolina Panthers Have the Third Worst Roster, According to ESPN
Ranked No, 30, only the Cleveland Browns and New Orleans Saints ranked below Carolina. Even though there were quite a few teams who won less games than the Panthers, ESPN still has them in the bottom three.
When the Saints defeated the Panthers, 47-10 in Week 1 last season, it seemed like it was going to be their year. They got off to a tremendously hot start, one they weren’t able to keep up with. Come Week 9, Carolina snuck away with a 23-22 win. The Panthers ended up winning two of their final three games last season, both in overtime.
While they lost four in a row after their Bye Week, two of those losses came to the teams in the Super Bowl. The Panthers hung in there against the Kansas City Chiefs, only losing 30-27. Two weeks later, they fell to the Philadelphia Eagles, 22-16.
Neither of those games resulted in a win, but they battled in those 60 minutes. That’s a tremendous sign of growth compared to them being outscored 73-13 in the first two weeks of the season.
In the 2025 draft, Carolina knew they needed to prioritize offense. Tetairoa McMillan could be a game-changing player on offense as Young settles into his third year in the system. From there, key names such as Chubba Hubbard and Adam Thielen remain.
ESPN’s Comments on the Panthers Roster
Quite a few names came together to compile this ranking for every team in the NFL. When it comes to the Panthers, Mike Clay believes their greatest strength is at wide receiver, “There’s some projection here, but receiver should be this team’s strength.”
“Carolina boosted the position on draft day by selecting Tetairoa McMillan with the No. 8 pick. He’ll join 2024 first-round pick Xavier Legette and gem 2024 UDFA find Jalen Coker on the perimeter, with reliable Adam Thielen (eighth in the NFL with 665 receptions since 2017) back for more at age 35,” Clay added.
As for the teams biggest weakness, “Safety,” Clay mentioned. “Xavier Woods, who led the defense in snaps last season, is gone and will be replaced by free agent signing Tre’von Moehrig. That could be an upgrade, but the rest of the team’s safety situation is uncertain, with Nick Scott, Demani Richardson and fourth-round rookie Lathan Ransom competing for snaps.”
“Neither Scott nor Richardson impressed with limited snaps last season, and the Panthers allowed 6.94 yards per dropback, second worst in the league,” Clay added.
The Panthers begin their 2025 season with back to back road games. They’ll have two weeks to prepare for their first divisional showdown, their home opener on Sunday, September 21 against the Atlanta Falcons.
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