With the 2026 NFL offseason in full swing, the Carolina Panthers and general manager Dan Morgan will now look to retool their roster for the upcoming season.

After making the playoffs for the first time since 2017, the Panthers are in an excellent spot to greatly improve the roster before the 2026 season, making the free agency period a key part of the offseason. But, in order to truly take the next step, there are multiple holes on the roster that must be addressed.

NFL.com’s Matt Okada recently wrote about every NFC team’s biggest priority this offseason, claiming that the top issue for the Panthers is the team’s current pass rush.

“Last season, the Panthers ranked dead last in quarterback pressure rate per NFL Pro (26.2%) and tied with the Ravens and Cardinals for third-fewest sacks (30),” Okada wrote. “Their 1.75 sacks per game over the last three seasons is worst in the league and makes them one of just two teams below 2.0 per game (along with the Patriots). They haven’t had an individual player hit double-digit sacks since 2022 and they consequently traded that player — Brian Burns — to the Giants in 2024. In 2025, they didn’t have a single pass rusher over five sacks, with DT Derrick Brown and rookie Nic Scourton each hitting five on the dot.”

For many Panthers’ fans, the issues surrounding the team’s defensive line have been known since the departure of former star EDGE Brian Burns.

However, instead of addressing the void in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft, Morgan opted to select wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan with the No. 8 pick. This move would eventually pay off for the franchise, as McMillan finished his first season with 1,014 receiving yards and seven touchdowns on 70 catches, paving the way for him to be named the 2025 AP Rookie of the Year.

In addition to McMillan, Morgan still managed to attack the defensive side of the ball during the second day of last year’s draft, selecting Nic Scourton in round two and Princely Umanmielen in the following round. While Umanmielen struggled in his first season, Scourton showed great promise as a rookie, tallying 40 tackles, 23 quarterback hurries, and five sacks.

Despite another strong season from defensive tackle Derrick Browns and the emergence of Scourton, it’s clear that the Panthers must attack the front four unit on defense this offseason.

Some of the names that would make sense for Carolina in free agency are Dre'Mont Jones and Boye Mafe. Both pass rushers are coming off terrific seasons in 2025, and Scourton could greatly benefit from playing on the opposite side of a veteran defender next year.

If the Panthers want to use their available cap space elsewhere in free agency, Morgan and the front office could find an additional pass rusher in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft.

With the No. 19 pick, Carolina could be in range for Auburn’s Keldric Faulk, or even Scourton’s former college teammate in Cashius Howell.