Now that the 2025 season is in the books and the preparations for the 2026 offseason are well underway, we're going to take a look at where the Panthers stand for the future at each position. We'll cover one position group per day through the next two weeks, offering a look at where things stand in advance of free agency and the draft. The series started last Monday with a look at the offensive line, then running backs on Tuesday, quarterbacks on Wednesday, tight ends on Thursday, and wide receivers on Friday.

This week, we'll be looking at the defense. We started with the defensive line on Monday, outside linebacker on Tuesday, inside linebackers on Wednesday, and safety on Thursday.

CHARLOTTE — For two years now, Jaycee Horn and Mike Jackson have made their case as one of the best corner duos in the NFL. The duo finished 2025 (regular and post season combined) with five interceptions each. Horn added eight passes defensed with quarterbacks actively avoiding him, while Jackson took advantage of those targets that came his way instead, leading the league with 19 passes defensed, and adding four more in the Panthers playoff appearance. His 23 total are the most for any corner this season.

This is a cornerback room performance that comes on the heels of Horn and Jackson leading the league in 2024 with the most PDs of any duo in the NFL. The ball-hawk skills in 2025 led to Horn making his second-straight Pro Bowl, something his teammates knew was well deserved, while Horn himself wondered where Jackson's Pro Bowl nod was.

"It's a lot of, like a popularity contest when it come to that type of stuff, but you know Mike been doing it, I think like I said, he led the league in PBU last year, and now he got (five) picks to go with it this year. So you know I think he has had an All-Pro year," bragged Horn of his teammate. "I think Mike having a hell of a year."

One thing not in question is Horn's season and the accolades it earned. His second healthy season in a row resulted in his second-straight Pro Bowl. Quarterbacks avoided him, only throwing his way 11.9 percent of the time he was on the field. When they did, he made them pay as such with the five aforementioned interceptions.

"For Jaycee, I saw him just, really just challenging things on a down-in and down-out basis," Panthers head coach Dave Canales said during the season of Horn. "He should feel that confidence; he's long, he's fast, he's aggressive, he's got a great mind, a competitive mind where he understands concepts and things that are happening, and I loved watching him in the aggressive style that he played with."

The Panthers also possibly found a future gem in undrafted rookie free agent Corey Thornton, who was able to step in for Horn when the Pro Bowler left a game with a concussion. However, Thornton unfortunately was injured in that same Week 12 matchup, missing the rest of the season with a broken fibula. At times this season, whether due to injury or scheme, Ejiro Evero also moved Chau Smith-Wade from the slot corner to the outside, along with Akayleb Evans at times. Smith-Wade finished the year with 56 tackles (one for loss) and two passes defensed.

UNDER CONTRACT FOR 2026: Jaycee Horn (2029), Mike Jackson (2026), Corey Thornton (2027), Chau Smith-Wade (2027), Tyrek Funderburk (2026), and Michael Reid (2026).

UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENTS: Akayleb Evans, Robert Rochell, and Damarri Mathis.

WHAT WENT RIGHT IN 2025

A lot went right for the corner unit in 2025, much of which centered around Horn and Jackson's ball-hawking skills, as we've already covered. It wasn't just the sheer interception numbers that made a difference though, but also when they happened. Two of Horn's interceptions came agains the Jets, when New York was driving and/or in the red zone. The Panthers ended up winning the game by one possession.

Jackson's first turnover was against the Falcons in Week 3, eliminating any hope for a comeback from Atlanta. His second was in Week 12, along with two from Horn, that kept the Panthers in a close one with the 49ers for the first half. In Week 13, it was Jackson who picked off MVP Matthew Stafford, returning it for a touchdown in a huge 31-28 win over the Rams. He picked off Stafford again in the wild card game that was one of the best all-around corner games the NFL got this year, and added another against his former team, the Seahawks, in Week 17.

Both corners also proved themselves to be not only able tacklers but impactful tacklers. In the Week 16 win against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, a game Carolina had to win for division standings, the Bucs were in third-and-goal from the 2-yard line. All Sean Tucker had to do was punch it in, which he'd done all season. But Horn chased him down from the backside and made the touchdown-saving play.

Jackson finished with 68 total tackles, fifth-most on the entire team, including four for loss.

The Panthers also saw a lot out of Thornton, enough to make this offseason exciting knowing they have depth for the immediate future, and time to develop the young player for the far future.

NEXT STEPS FOR 2026

All corners with starting or significant playing experience are under contract for at least another season, making this a fairly quiet offseason for the group. However, Jackson only has one more year on his deal and given the way he's been playing since arriving in Charlotte, it's reasonable to think about the future.

With their starters in place for this season, the attention will turn more towards developing Thornton and expanding on the natural skills the Panthers saw in training camp, and during his limited but impressive game tape (he played 17 percent of the defensive snaps this season). There will also be time to play with Smith-Wade's best role in this defense. As a rookie, he became the starting slot corner. In 2025, he was moved around more to compensate for Tre'von Moehrig playing close to the line. How are these two best married moving forward?