Carolina Panthers: 5 offseason needs in 2019

2. Edge rusher

For the first time in a long time, Julius Peppers won’t be tormenting quarterbacks from the edge for an NFL franchise in 2019. His retirement leaves Carolina with a big need to acquire a premier pass rusher.

In fairness, Peppers wasn’t exactly dominant last season. He was good, but he only managed five sacks during a relatively healthy campaign. The real problem for the Panthers is that only Mario Addison had more. He led the team with nine sacks.

That’s not good enough for a defense that schematically relies on getting pressure on the quarterback with their front four. It’s reasonable to think Kawann Short and Addison will post improved sack totals in 2019, but Dontari Poe isn’t going to pressure the quarterback very often. That makes finding a fourth starter who can boost the pass rush a huge key to the Panthers offseason.

The depth of the draft class should really work in Carolina’s favor on this one. The top-50 prospects are loaded with guys who can make plays off the edge. It’s very likely Hurney will use one of his top two selections on a player who will be expected to start at defensive end immediately.