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 turned to defense, with the defensive line on Monday and the outside linebackers on Tuesday.

CHARLOTTE — The Panthers went into last season with a plan, but it got complicated in a hurry.

When veteran Josey Jewell was unable to play last year because of continued concussion symptoms, it led to a situation where the Panthers were starting different combinations every week coming down the stretch.

They started the year well, with Christian Rozeboom and Trevin Wallace starting the first 10 games together — though they swapped out the green dot and signal-calling responsibilities.

But when injuries hit late in the year, they used four other combinations of starters over the last seven games. Fortunately, they had some options in place that allowed them to continue a playoff run.

It sets up an offseason in which they could add in multiple ways. But considering how different it continued to look throughout the season, it's reasonable to think it will look different again in 2026.

UNDER CONTRACT FOR 2026: Trevin Wallace (2027), Bam Martin-Scott (2027), Maema Njongmeta (2026), Jacoby Windmon (2026), Jared Bartlett (2026), Maz Mwansa (2026).

UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENTS: Christian Rozeboom, Krys Barnes.

RESTRICTED FREE AGENTS: Claudin Cherelus.

WHAT WENT RIGHT IN 2025

Everything was looking up from the previous year. In 2024, the Panthers were signing guys off the street in midweek, and they were calling plays on Sunday. It was not ideal, and the results were evident.

But things stabilized last year, and they found some guys they can continue to develop for the future.

Wallace and Rozeboom played solidly together, with the results improving once Wallace started calling plays. But shoulder injuries limited him in the second half of the year, and Rozeboom dealt with a hamstring and hip issue.

They found some reliable backups in Claudin Cherelus and veteran free agent Krys Barnes, and got good starts out of each of them coming down the stretch as they made the playoffs.

As the year went on, they also got some good spot work from undrafted rookie Bam Martin-Scott, who did not look out of place when he came in during the San Francisco and Seattle games.

And the Panthers went from finishing last in the league in defense in 2024 to 15th in scoring and 16th in yards allowed, so the progress was significant.

NEXT STEPS FOR 2026

The Panthers have a legacy of inside linebacker play that rivals any franchise in the NFL, highlighted by Hall of Famers Sam Mills and Luke Kuechly, with guys in between including Thomas Davis, Micheal Barrow, Jon Beason, Shaq Thompson, and current general manager Dan Morgan. So having that position well-stocked is part of the organizational ethos.

So that leaves all the doors open this offseason — free agency, the draft, or both.

It's not as if the cupboard is bare, because Wallace has played good football when well. And they kept Martin-Scott on the roster all year, rather than risk losing the undrafted rookie by stashing him on the practice squad.

And if you want to talk about long-term development, they're continuing the education of Mwansa. The 21-year-old Englishman spent the year on the practice squad as an international exemption, and they're bringing him back this year (he's still practice squad eligible on an exemption this year). He once ran a 4.45 40 at 230 pounds, and he's got NFL-level athleticism.

But they need to add real competition for starting jobs, and that could happen in a lot of ways. The reality is, they're deeper than they've been in some time (with some good special teamers on hand as well), and are likely to continue to add there as they continue to build the defense.