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The Carolina Panthers spent most of the 2024 season clawing out of an early-season identity crisis. By Week 2, 2023 No. 1 overall pick Bryce Young had already been benched. As such, speculation about the team moving on from him was picking up serious steam. However, a funny thing happened on the way to rock bottom. Young came back in Week 8 and looked like a different player. He wasn’t a superstar, but he was stable, confident, and increasingly effective.
By season’s end, Young capped off his resurgence with 251 yards and three touchdowns in a road win against the Atlanta Falcons, complete with a look-away celebration that became a viral moment and a symbolic turning point.
“I think we’ve got our QB here,” Panthers owner David Tepper told NFL Media’s Cameron Wolfe after the win.
Still, the Panthers have miles to go. Carolina’s defense gave up more points than any team in NFL history. Yes, the front office added key pieces like edge rushers Nic Scourton and Princely Umanmielen in the 2025 draft. That said, this group still lacks true teeth. Of course, drafting wideout Tetairoa McMillan eighth overall should help Young. Still, it won’t matter unless Carolina fixes the other side of the ball and the trenches on both sides.
Nobody is confusing this team with a contender, but hope is back in Charlotte. That’s more than you could say 12 months ago. Here we’ll try to look at two players who are way-too-early 2026 NFL Draft prospects the Carolina Panthers must monitor.
Let’s be honest: Carolina probably should have gone defense in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft. They passed on top-tier defensive linemen in favor of giving Young a weapon in McMillan. Sure, that decision made sense for optics and offense. However, the Panthers still need reinforcements up front. Enter Peter Woods.
The Clemson defensive tackle checks every box for what Carolina needs in its front seven. They needed quickness, leverage, production, and physicality. At 6’3″ and 315 pounds, Woods put up three sacks and 17 pressures across just 11 games last season. He’s not just a space-eater, too. He’s a disruptor. Pairing him with Derrick Brown would instantly turn Carolina’s interior into a strength rather than a liability.
The Panthers’ defense finished last in EPA and points allowed in 2024. Sure, they grabbed some pass rush help on Day 2. However, without a consistent presence in the middle, opposing offenses will continue to pick apart this unit. Woods isn’t just a scheme fit. He’s a cultural one. The Panthers want to build toughness in the trenches, and Woods gives them just that.
Scouts are already pegging him as a top-10 talent in early mocks. Many even believe he could follow the recent run of Clemson linemen going early. If Carolina wants to give their young quarterback any chance of leading this team forward, bolstering the defense and winning the line of scrimmage must...
