Pass Rusher<\/h2>\n
This has to be priority number one.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n The Panthers finished 16th<\/strong> in total defense, 15th<\/strong> in pass defense, and 20th<\/strong> in run defense, but the deeper numbers tell a different story. Carolina ranked 31st<\/strong> in pressure rate, 30th<\/strong> in total sacks<\/a>, and near the bottom of the league in pass rush win rate. Most concerning, they were 31st in third-down defense.<\/p>\n In the NFL, third-down defense comes down to two things: winning early downs and getting to the quarterback.<\/strong><\/span> Carolina struggled to do the second all season.<\/p>\n Late in the year, the problem became obvious. Seattle<\/a> converted key third downs to extend drives. Against Tampa Bay<\/a>, Baker Mayfield<\/a> kept plays alive with his legs because the Panthers couldn\u2019t finish. Against the Rams<\/a>, Carolina brought pressure with blitzes, but Matthew Stafford<\/a> still had enough time to let his receivers win on 50\/50 balls.<\/p>\n Dan Morgan<\/a> has already acknowledged this issue, and league insiders expect Carolina to be aggressive in adding edge help\u2014whether that\u2019s a big signing like Trey Hendrickson or solid veteran additions. However, they do it, the Panthers need a true difference-maker off the edge. Nothing else will fix the third-down problem.<\/p>\n Xavier Legette<\/a> is a fan favorite, but as Panthers legend Steve Smith<\/a> has said, fan favorites are for productive players\u2014or young players. Going into Year 3, Legette is no longer young.<\/p>\n He\u2019s shown flashes of what the Panthers hoped for. His touchdowns against the Dolphins<\/a> and Falcons<\/a> were highlights. But his season was also filled with mistakes that are getting harder to ignore.<\/p>\n Drops were an issue, including a costly dropped touchdown against Philadelphia<\/a>. Mental mistakes showed up too, from lining up offside after being warned to running the wrong route on plays where Bryce Young was clearly looking for him.<\/p>\n With Tetairoa McMillan<\/a> locked in as the No. 1 receiver and Jalen Coker<\/a> emerging as a reliable No. 2 from the same draft class, the margin for error is gone. At some point, potential has to turn into consistency. If it doesn\u2019t, the Panthers may have to move on, similar to what the Colts<\/a> did with Adonai Mitchell<\/a>.<\/p>\n Hope is not a development plan. Carolina Panthers’ offseason priorities need to address Legette.<\/p>\nXavier Legette<\/h2>\n
![\"Xavier](\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2026\/01\/Xavier-Legette-Trade-1024x683.jpg\")
Decide What They Want From Bryce Young<\/h2>\n