Head coach Dave Canales' first season in charge of the Carolina Panthers can best be described a return to something resembling competence for the franchise. No one in the organization is celebrating the team's 5-12 regular season record, but the roster did produce flashes of hope that could lead to a big improvement in 2025.
The offense was far from electric, but quarterback Bryce Young seemed to finally find his footing during the last few weeks of the campaign. Caution should be exercised when evaluating a player's performance late in a meaningful season, but Young did put up some good games against high-qualify defenses with things to play for.
Much of the front office's offseason work was designed to help Young build on that success. Drafting Tetairoa McMillan in Round 1 gives Carolina a potential No. 1 outside receiver who can win jump balls on the perimeter. McMillan's arrival should allow the likes of Xavier Legette and Adam Thielen to slide down the pecking order far enough to become above-average pass catchers.
The defense was the biggest culprit for the team's lack of competitiveness last season. The group finished dead last in the NFL in points against by giving up 31.4 points per game. That's a big reason why the team's current depth chart shows five new starters on that side of the ball. Safety Tre'von Moehrig was arguably the most eye-catching free agent move, but don't be surprised if Bobby Brown provides at least as much value with his ability to clog up running lates on the interior.
The formula for success for the Panthers in 2025 is for Young to take another step forward given his new offensive weapons. The defense doesn't need to suddenly become a top-10 unit but getting somewhere around 20th in the NFL would do wonders for the team's win total. The outcome of the following three bold predictions could also be key to Carolina's hopes of rising up the NFC South standings.
1. Rookie Nic Scourton will lead the team in sacks
It's dangerous to draw lasting conclusions about any NFL player based on a single game of preseason action. That's why Nic Scourton's stellar effort in his professional debut needs to be taken with quite a bit of salt.
The important part of Scourton's debut is how he passed the eye test of what teams are looking for in quality edge rushers. The second-round pick flashed a healthy combination fo speed and power off the edge. That allowed him to notch one sack and two pressures to lead Carolina's defense.
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Scourton currently sits behind D.J. Wonnum on the team's depth chart but they did not spend a high draft pick on him to watch him stand on the sidelines. Look for him to get a lot of opportunities to rush the passer early in the season before working his way onto the field for early downs during the second half of the season.
Scourton likely won't get enough snaps to get to double-digit sacks but settling in at eight represent an outstanding rookie season. He's a big X-factor for Carolina's defense in 2025.
2. Bryce Young won't do enough to earn a long-term contract in Carolina
Bryce Young deserves credit for bouncing back after being benched in favor of Andy Dalton last year. He put his head down and came back into the lineup stronger than ever. That does not mean the Panthers were entirely satisfied with his play.
If they are going to stick with him as their franchise signal-caller he needs to show he can, at the very minimum, be one of the best 20 starters in the league next season. There's no reason for Carolina to commit massive resources to retain the 25th best starter in football.
Young simply does not have a big margin for error given his lack of physical tools. He's very small for the position and has good, but not explosive mobility. He processes the game at a high speed but his arm talent is nothing special. He's a point guard of an offense rather than a superstar.
That's why the Panthers will strongly consider finding a new quarterback next offseason. Young needs to take a bigger step forward in 2025 than he did last year if he wants to stick in Carolina.
3. Ja'Tavion Sanders will lead the team in catches
A small quarterback like Young can really benefit from a big tight end who can help bail him out of jams. That's one of Ja'Tavion's best potential skills for the Panthers.
The former Texas standout managed to catch 33 passes last season which was actually the fourth highest total on the team. He's drawing nice praise from observers with his preseason work while Tommy Tremble recovers from injury on the sideline.
Sanders is not going to light up the stat sheet for 100 receptions, but 65 is a reasonable total for him given his development and increased workload. That should be good enough to lead a receiver room that's filled with intriguing players trying to carve out their niche with the team.