NFL experts aren't high on the Carolina Panthers roster going into the 2026 season, judging by this ranking from CBS Sports.
The 2026 preseason is wrapping up this weekend and for the Carolina Panthers, they will play in their fourth and final game. The focus will then shift to the regular season which is just over two weeks away.
As Carolina prepares for the Week 1 opener against the Chicago Bears, they are hoping to build off of last season's success. They won the NFC South with an 8-9 record, doing so through a tiebreaker. Although they fell short in the playoffs, losing to the Los Angeles Rams, they are hoping they can take it a step further this time.
But there are a lot of questions to be answered.
The Panthers have a lot of doubters this season with questions about their offense, specifically quarterback Bryce Young. While his fifth-year option was picked up, the Panthers have yet to give him a long-term deal. Young will need to prove it this season as it's a big year for him.
With the start of the season looming, CBS Sports ranked every roster in the NFL from 1-32.
For the Panthers, they were in the bottom half, checking in at No. 24 overall in the rankings, a disappointing appearance. CBS Sports noted that the good on the Panthers' roster was the cornerback position while the bad was the tight end position. That's a fair assessment.
They did list the biggest question for the team as the offensive line:
The question: Offensive line -- A team not having its starting left and right tackles to begin the season would spell disaster for most teams, but not the Panthers. Free-agent addition Rasheed Walker will fill in for Ickey Ekwonu at left tackle, while first-round pick Monroe Freeling replaces Taylor Moton on the right side. Carolina also has a new center in Luke Fortner, who takes over for Cade Mayes. This unit was pretty good when healthy. How will it look with three new faces?
While the biggest question to us is Young, CBS Sports is right about the offensive line especially with the injuries. The two go hand in hand as Young needs the offensive line to play well.
If they can get the two units on the same page and playing up to a certain standard, the Panthers could surprise some teams come the 2026 season.
