As the Carolina Panthers begin to prepare for the upcoming offseason, it’s time to look back at the franchise’s recent success in 2025.

Head coach Dave Canales and his squad managed to surpass the low expectations set upon the organization last year by reaching the playoffs for the first time since 2017. And despite being knocked out in the NFC Wild Card round by the Los Angeles Rams, the Panthers’ appearance in the playoffs proved to the rest of the league that Carolina could be a legitimate threat in the NFC South.

One of the main reasons why Canales was able to turn the team around in 2025 was due to general manager Dan Morgan’s incredible efforts in the 2025 NFL Draft.

Morgan struggled in his first draft as the team’s general manager in 2024, as first-round pick Xavier Legette and multiple day two picks have yet to prove themselves throughout their first two seasons.

However, this was not the case in 2025.

While the team’s primary concern entering the previous draft was the defensive line, Morgan ultimately decided to pull the trigger on Arizona standout wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan and selected him with the No. 8 pick.

This would eventually turn out to be one of the best decisions by Morgan, as McMillan managed to instantly become the team’s No. 1 receiver in 2025. The 6-foot-4, 219 lbs. pass catcher ended his first season with a total of 1,095 receiving yards and seven touchdowns on 75 catches.

Now, McMillan is a favorite to be this year’s AP Offensive Rookie of the Year, which would be the first time a Panthers’ rookie has won the award since Cam Newton in 2011.

Luckily for Carolina, Morgan would address the defensive line in the second round with Texas A&M defensive lineman Nic Scourton, who quickly became the franchise’s best pass rusher over the course of his rookie season. Scourton started in half of his games played in 2025, recording 40 tackles, 23 quarterback hurries, and eight sacks.

In addition to landing two franchise pieces, Morgan also managed to find multiple impact players in the later rounds of the 2025 draft.

Out of the team’s five players selected on the third day of the draft, four of the picks played in at least 13 or more games under Canales. This includes both fourth-round picks Trevor Etienne and Lathan Ransom, along with the team’s sixth-round pick, Mitchell Evans.

While Entienne was behind both Chuba Hubbard and Rico Dowdle in the running back rotation, the rookie rusher ended the year with 20 carries for 94 yards, making him an excellent depth piece for the Panthers.

Another rotational piece on the defensive side of the ball was Ransom, who finished his first season with 51 tackles, two pass deflections, and one interception.

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