The Carolina Panthers' defense could be really good next season.
In a Bleacher Report story called "5 Most Improved Defenses Ahead of 2026 NFL Training Camp," Moe Moton named the Carolina Panthers as one of the teams.
The Panthers added Lee Hunter, Devin Lloyd and Jaelan Phillips this offseason. Those three join Jaycee Horn and Derrick Brown.
Even though the Panthers won the NFC South title last season, they finished with a sub-.500 record and needed help in Week 18 to win the division. Dave Canales and Co. must prove next season that they didn't just benefit from playing in the league's weakest division.
The Panthers have a tough 2026 schedule. They play the Chicago Bears, Atlanta Falcons, Cleveland Browns, Detroit Lions, Philadelphia Eagles, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Green Bay Packers, Denver Broncos, New Orleans Saints, Baltimore Ravens, Minnesota Vikings, Cincinnati Bengals, Pittsburgh Steelers and Seattle Seahawks.
It will be fascinating to see how Carolina does in 2026. The team will no longer fly under the radar after making the playoffs last season.
The Panthers signed Phillips to a four-year, $120 million contract this offseason in free agency. Phillips played for the Miami Dolphins and Eagles last season. The Eagles acquired the 27-year-old from the Dolphins in November.
Phillips finished last season with five sacks, 29 solo tackles, seven tackles for loss and 14 QB hits with Miami and Philadelphia. Not exactly great numbers, but he still got paid by Carolina.
The Panthers, under defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero, run a base 3-4 defense. Phillips isn't worried about adjusting his game to a new defensive scheme. After all, it's his job to learn on the fly.
"I've played a lot in 3-4s," Phillips said. "I definitely can say that I'm versatile in the sense that I can get down to the 3 (technique), I can play the edge. I can walk out in coverage. I can drop back to the inside backer if I need to. I've done a lot of things in a lot of different defenses."
Phillips has to put up star numbers next season. Otherwise, fans and pundits will bash him over his contract.
The Panthers should also be concerned about Phillips' injury history. He's played three full seasons in five years, missing 22 outings between 2023 and 2024.
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