Carolina invested more big money in guards Robert Hunt and Damien Lewis in 2024 and re-signed center Austin Corbett earlier this offseason to shore up the offensive line. The defensive line, even with the free agent additions, is an area the Panthers may look to improve in the draft.

We are only five years removed from the 2020 NFL Draft, when then-head coach Matt Rhule and the Panthers went defense with all seven of their draft picks.

Panthers general manager Dan Morgan would do backflips for a shot at drafting Penn State edge Abdul Carter, but to hear him tell it this week, Carolina is out of the business of trading up for talent.