Carolina Panthers: Addressing Their Top Defensive Needs

Defense has long been one of the special parts of the Carolina Panthers. 2014 wasn’t any different as the organization put a very solid unit onto the field each game. Looking towards the 2015-2016 season there are very distinctive needs the Panthers must address on the other side of the football.

This year the Panthers have already begun to address some of these needs, however there is still work to do in order to strengthen this complete unit. The defense was ranked in the middle across the board in many statistical categories at the end of last season. With that in mind, these are the top priorities and concerns for the Charlotte, North Carolina home team.

Safety

The Panthers need to find a way to get younger at the safety position. Currently, Roman Harper is the elder statesman of that unit, with nine years under his belt. Kurt Coleman, Colin Jones and Robert Lester round out the unit and each have at least three years of experience on the field. According to ESPN, last season the Panthers had a unit that was the 11^th best in the league when it came to defending the pass. Carolina didn’t address this need through the draft, so it will be interesting to see if any other moves are made to bring in a more well-known performer in this position.

Linebacker

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Luke Kuechly and Thomas Davis give the Panthers one of the best 1-2 punches when it comes to a core of high-performing linebackers. Still, they need to find a weak side linebacker that better complements how well they play. The Panthers selected Shaq Thompson with their first pick in the 2015 draft but then further bolstered that aspect of their roster by adding David Mayo. It will be interesting to see if either one of these players steps up to complete what may be the best linebacker group in the league.

Defensive End

The Panthers have had a long list of standout defensive ends during the team’s history. The group of Charles Johnson, Kawann Short and Star Lotulelei continue that trend. With Greg Hardy moving on to the Dallas Cowboys, the group needs another player to step into this role. The Panthers didn’t address this need through the draft and last year’s second-round pick Kony Ealy, is still listed as the starter in said position. Someone needs to step up to fill this void.

Cornerback

The Panthers have a very young core of cornerbacks as none returning from 2014 have more than four years of NFL experience. Still, with Josh Norman and Bene Benwikere at the helm, they performed very well throughout the season. This is another position that the Panthers didn’t address through the draft. They did add Charles Tillman with a one-year contract but it will be interesting to see just how much the 13-year veteran will add to this developing roster.

Next: Carolina Panthers: What Concerns Need Addressing Next?

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