The Athletic shares concern about Panthers' defense in 2026

The biggest question facing the Carolina Panthers going into the 2026 season is how much quarterback Bryce Young will improve compared to last season. On the other side of the ball, the big unanswered question is if their pass rush can finally claw their way out of the NFL’s basement after a bottom-five finish in sacks three years running.

To their credit, the Panthers went out of their way to improve their defensive front seven in free agency, signing edge rusher Jaelan Phillips and linebacker Devin Lloyd, a great pass rusher for his position, to huge deals.

Now, can defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero get this group up to a respectable level in the all-important pass-rushing category? That’s what The Atheltic’s NFL analyst Robert Mays will be watching for in the first month of the season:

Is Jaelan Phillips enough to take that pass rush from a team that finished 32nd when rushing four to a unit that feels dangerous? Because that’s about more than individual talent, and he really is the only guy you’re adding back into that. Turk Wharton is still hurt. You lose Nic Scourton before the season. There are some teams that even if they don’t have the horses pass-rush wise, the plan feels dynamic.

Is Jaelan Phillips enough to take that pass rush from a team that finished 32nd when rushing four to a unit that feels dangerous? Because that’s about more than individual talent, and he really is the only guy you’re adding back into that. Turk Wharton is still hurt. You lose Nic Scourton before the season. There are some teams that even if they don’t have the horses pass-rush wise, the plan feels dynamic.

Wharton didn’t do much in this department last year even when he was on the field, but losing Scourton for the season is an undeniably painful blow to the Panthers’ front. As of yet, they haven’t added a dynamic option to replace him on the edge, leaving a lot of pressure on Pat Jones II and Princely Umanmielen to step up at the spot opposite Phillips.

As Mays mentions, it’s about more than just the personnel, here. Evero has been extremely reluctant to blitz the quarterback during his run as the Panthers’ defensive coordinator. He did have success doing so against the Los Angeles Rams in their playoff matchup—and will need to consider embracing it more often if he’s going to generate the kind of pressure the Panthers need to compete.

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This article originally appeared on Panthers Wire: The Athletic shares concern about Panthers’ defense in 2026