Carolina also landed former Ram Christian Rozeboom and former Viking Patrick Jones to add depth at the off-ball and outside linebacker spots, respectively. Jones tallied 7.0 sacks in Minnesota last year and the Panthers need help off the edge after recording the fourth-lowest defensive sack rate in the NFL in 2024.
The Panthers did make one notable addition on offense, swiping running back Rico Dowdle off the Cowboys' roster. Dowdle came on strong down the stretch last year and managed to crack the 1,000-yard rushing mark while averaging 4.6 yards per tote. Canales envisions Hubbard and Dowdle sharing the backfield load and being a very productive 1-2 punch.
The Panthers also signed a new punter, replacing Johnny Hekker with former Bill Sam Martin.
2025 NFL Draft:
With the NFL's bottom-heavy standings in 2024, a 5-12 record was only good enough for the eighth overall pick in the 2025 draft, with the Panthers sandwiched between the Jets and Saints. Carolina's own second-round pick this year, number 39 overall, was also part of that trade up for Bryce Young in 2023 but the Panthers will still pick in the round as they got the Rams' selection (#57) during a trade down in last year's draft.
Overall, Carolina goes into the draft armed with eight picks, including three in the fifth round and three of the top 74. Their overall draft capital ranks 11th in the NFL.
The majority of mock drafts have the Panthers still eyeing help for their defense with the eighth overall pick, most likely with an edge rusher or a cornerback. While Penn State's Abdul Carter is the consensus top edge rusher in the draft and almost surely a top-four pick, the order in which a deep but muddled group of players in the next tier will go has been hard to pinpoint. Carolina's number-eight pick could set the tone for how that position will fall out in the first round.
The Panthers could go for one of the drafts extremely athletic edge rushers, like Texas A&M's Shemar Stewart or Georgia's Mykel Williams, or they could go with production and take Marshall's Mike Green, who led the nation last year with 17.5 sacks. They could also land on Georgia's Jalon Walker, who might be an edge rusher, an off-ball linebacker or some combination of the two.
If the Panthers decide to go after a cornerback in the first round, they'll likely have their pick of anybody except Colorado's Travis Hunter. That would likely mean Michigan's Will Johnson or Texas's Jahdae Barron. It's also not out of the question that the Panthers would give Young some more pass-catching help with the likes of wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan or Penn State tight end Tyler Warren.