The Panthers were a fun interesting team last season that pulled off upsets over the likes of the Packers and Rams and held a late lead at home in the playoffs vs the eventual conference finalists Rams as well. It was especially fun and interesting after Carolina had been a shipwreck since the departure of QB Cam Newton. Carolina’s defense carried the team more than the offense last year as the Panthers had an underrated defense during the 2025 season. If Carolina wants to take the next step and establish themselves as a legitimate Super Bowl contender, then the defense will have to be even better. Not just the coaching of defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero but also the personnel that the team has on defense will also loom quite large going forward. Here I will go into detail assessing the front seven personnel of Carolina entering the 2026 season.
2020 1st rounder Derrick Brown is set to start at the first edge defender spot for Carolina and is a borderline elite to an elite player at the position. Brown as a former top 10 overall pick has made a Pro Bowl and Pro Football Focus consistently grades him as one of the premier players at his position on nearly a year in year out basis.
2021 4th rounder Bobby Brown III is set to start at nose tackle for the team and is a solid player at the position. Brown III in the first four seasons of his career graded in the above average range in terms of an overall defense grade among players at his position according to Pro Football Focus. Brown III however had a down year during the 2025 season grading in the below average range in that department and it remains to be seen if he can bounce back.
Veteran Tershawn Wharton is set to start at the other edge defender spot and is likely the weakest link in the Panthers’ starting front seven and he remains a prime candidate to transition to a reserve role at some point during the 2026 season. Wharton graded in the slightly above average range in terms of an overall defense grade among players at his position as a rookie in 2020 but has consistently graded in the below average to poor range on a perennial basis since then.
2025 2nd rounder Nic Scourton is set to start at the first of the linebacker spots for the Panthers and is coming off a strong rookie season. Scourton graded in the slightly above average range among players at his position according to Pro Football Focus despite being a rookie, not easy to do. Scourton is in line to become a high-level starter in the NFL going forward for the Panthers.
Former 1st rounder Devin Lloyd is currently slated to start at the next of the linebacker spots for Carolina and has emerged as one of the premier defensive players in the NFL. Lloyd was acquired this offseason from the Jaguars after a very strong four-year stint in Jacksonville. Lloyd had a career year during the 2025 season where Pro Football Focus graded him as the third best overall linebacker in the NFL after he graded in the borderline elite range in that department previously. Lloyd earned second team All-Pro honors and Pro Bowl honors during the 2025 season as well.
2024 3rd rounder Trevin Wallace is listed as the next starter at linebacker for Carolina and is also a weak link as of now although he does have the potential to grow. Despite being drafted relatively high, Wallace has struggled in each of his first two NFL seasons. Wallace graded (76/92) in terms of an overall defense grade among his peers as a rookie and then graded (59/94) in that same department during 2025. A slight improvement but still below average, however he has yet to put together a full season of snaps and could break out heading into year 3. The Panthers coaching staff must certainly believe he can as Carolina has numerous talented linebackers on the depth chart behind him and he is still listed as the starter despite that. However, if he does not show marked improvement, then Wallace will likely transition to a reserve role at some point during the 2026 season.
Newly acquired former 1st round linebacker Jaelan Phillips rounds out the Carolina starting front seven and is a highly effective player in the NFL. Phillips in every season he has played thus far in the NFL, outside of his rookie year, has graded in the above average to elite range in terms of an overall defense grade among his peers. Phillips even warranted being graded as the sixth best overall linebacker in the NFL during his second year in the NFL, although he has not been able to maintain elite play but still strong play since then.
From a depth standpoint in the front seven the Panthers have some notable names that could loom large as they could provide the team with some high-end depth and/or step into the starting lineup given some of Carolina’s holes in their starting front seven. The team drafted nose tackle Lee Hunter in the 2nd round of the 2026 draft who was a first team All-American in his final collegiate season. 2021 3rd round edge defender/linebacker Patrick Jones II has underwhelmed in the NFL thus far but played at the strongest level he has ever played at during the 2025 season. 2025 3rd round linebacker Princely Umanmielen was drafted quite high after receiving first team All-SEC honors during his last year in college, and although he had his rookie struggles, he is in line to potentially grow heading into year 2 in the NFL. Linebacker/edge defender Trevis Gipson has shown a very high ceiling in the NFL, although lacking in consistency. Linebacker Isaiah Simmons was viewed as a generational prospect entering the NFL draft, and although he has not lived up to that potential, he has still been a good NFL player thus far. While finally linebacker Maema Njongmeta has played at a borderline elite level in about one games worth of snaps in the NFL as a former undrafted free agent.
The Panthers have a very talented front seven that has the potential to be one of the premier front sevens in the NFL next season. Three of their seven starters are high level Pro Bowl/All-Pro caliber players, while another starter is a high draft pick going into year 2 after a solid rookie season. Two of their starters are weak links however but one is a former high draft pick who still has perhaps not had enough of a chance to prove himself, while the team has numerous backups at his position capable of taking his spot and playing at a strong level. While although the other weak link in Tershawn Wharton is not a young improving player and the Panthers do not have as much depth behind him. The Panthers still have some players who could step in for him adequately and Wharton still has played well from time to time and Carolina can perhaps get away with having one weak link in their starting front seven given how strong the rest of their unit is. While the remaining listed starter for Carolina is a solid starting caliber player in the NFL. The depth that Carolina has in their front seven in particular at linebacker is astounding, and although they lack defensive line depth, 2026 2nd round interior defensive lineman Lee Hunter projects to be a high-end NFL player and many of the linebackers can perhaps transition to the defensive line. A breakdown of the Carolina front seven can be found below heading into the 2026 season.
2026 Carolina Panthers’ Projected Starting Front Seven
LDE – Derrick Brown – A-
NT – Bobby Brown III – B-
RDE – Tershawn Wharton – C to C+
WLB – Nic Scourton – B- as rookie in 2025, ’25 2nd rounder
LILB – Devin Lloyd – A to A-
RILB – Trevin Wallace – C so far as 2024 3rd rounder
SLB – Jaelan Phillips – B+ to A-
2026 Notable Panthers’ Front Seven Reserves
NT – Lee Hunter – 2026 2nd rounder
LB – Patrick Jones II – C to C+, 2021 3rd rounder
LB – Princely Umanmielen – 2025 3rd rounder, D+ to C-
LB – Trevis Gipson – C+ to B-
LB – Isaiah Simmons – B-
LB – Maema Njongmeta – B+ in very limited snaps
