The Panthers watched almost all of their sack production walk out the door and desperately need to restock their cupboards.
The Carolina Panthers had a decent defense in 2023 despite some underwhelming splash play production. They registered just 27 sacks, which was the fewest in the league. 90.7% of that sack production is no longer with the team. The only players left on the roster that registered sacks for the Panthers last season are Derrick Brown (2) and Shy Tuttle (0.5).
The front office attempted to patch the massive gaping hole on the edge of their defense by signing Jadeveon Clowney, DJ Wonnum, and K’Lavon Chaisson. That trio statistically mirrors the departing production on the front line, but it’s never a guarantee that players will maintain that production when they move teams. On top of that, free agent signings rarely prove to be long term answers. The Panthers have no young talent at the position, and they need to fix that.
Chop Robinson, Penn State
This is a pie in the sky dream, but you never know what could happen on draft night. Robinson is almost exclusively mocked to go in the later stages of the first round, but there’s always a chance there’s a surprising run on quarterbacks or something that pushes players like him down further than expected. He didn’t produce much in college, but his best moments and athletic testing have drawn comparisons to some of the league’s more dominant pass rushers. If the Panthers are blessed by the football gods and he is available at 33, he’ll be very, very hard to pass on.
Chris Braswell, Alabama
Alabama has a pretty good reputation for churning out productive NFL defenders. Braswell profiles as a pass rush specialist, at least early in his career. He’s got a good bag of pass rushing moves and good physical traits to go along with it. He needs to work on his technique, especially in the run game, but there is always Day 2 appeal in a guy that has a definable NFL role with the potential to add more to his game.
Adisa Isaac, Penn State
Isaac might not be quite the pass rusher as Braswell at this point but has a more refined all around game. The Panthers would probably have to use one of their second round picks to nab Isaac while there’s probably a better chance that Braswell falls. Isaac has a great motor and should fit in as a solid piece of the edge rotation out of the gate.
Marshawn Kneeland, Western Michigan
Kneeland has prototypical 4-3 end size but the athleticism to play as a standup edge rusher. He had a strong combine performance that will get him some extra looks despite underwhelming production at a smaller school. He’s a power rusher, and the Panthers could see some utility in his size and potential versatility as a standup rusher or more traditional defensive end.
Jonah Elliss, Utah
Elliss has more production than any other player on this list but doesn’t have the physical profile teams typically look for in an edge rusher. He’s only 6’2” 248 pounds, but he’s agile and slippery and has a motor to get the as much production possible out of a player his size. He just hosted an individual pro day that raised some eyebrows, as he registered a 3-cone time that would be the best all time for a player at his position. Sometimes players can overcome physical limitations with motor and other skills. Elliss could fit that mold.