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 and started with the defensive line on Monday.

CHARLOTTE — Heading into the 2025 season, the Panthers knew they needed pass-rusher help.

So Dan Morgan and crew went out and signed Patrick Jones II in free agency to pair with his former teammate and friend D.J. Wonnum. Then during the draft, Morgan grabbed two young rookies, Nic Scourton and Princely Umanmielen.

The plan was for the two rookies to learn and develop behind their respective veterans. They were even paired with a veteran during the offseason, giving each a guiding hand and experienced voice. But you know what they say about best laid plans.

Jones missed two games early in the season with a hamstring injury, but was still able to pick up nine tackles, including two for loss, 1.0 sack, and two quarterback hits in four games. Then his season came to an abrupt stop. A back injury suffered in Week 6 required season ending surgery. By Week 7, the rookie Scourton saw his snap count go up and by season's end, he had started eight games.

"I mean super exciting, the year after rookie year is always one of the most important," said Scourton after the end of the season. "I mean I'm expecting myself to work hard this offseason and get better and just come and try to be a more vocal leader on this team next year. We expect a lot next year; we're disappointed about what happened (against the Rams). I mean, but we're not hanging our heads and next year we're trying to go for it all."

The Panthers will be depending on Scourton and Umanmielen a lot moving forward. Pass-rush is one of the hardest positions to transition from college to the NFL, meaning anything the second and third-rounder did this season should be seen as a foundation, not a ceiling. As for what that means for the rest of the unit, time will tell.

UNDER CONTRACT FOR 2026: Nic Scourton (2028), Patrick Jones II (2026), Princely Umanmielen (2028), Jamil Muhammad (2026).

UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENTS: DJ Wonnum, Trevis Gipson.

RESTRICTED FREE AGENTS: Thomas Incoom.

WHAT WENT RIGHT IN 2025

As mentioned, Scourton and Umanmielen received a lot of playing time.

Scourton played 67.83 percent of the defensive snaps after becoming a starter midway through the year, while Umanmielen clocked in for a more typical rookie amount of 21 percent of the snaps. It will pay dividends moving forward.

Overall, the defense was tied for 28th overall in the league though with 30.0 sacks. Scourton led the defense with 5.0 sacks, tied with Derrick Brown, but was the only outside linebacker on the field with 4.0 or more. Wonnum clocked in with 3.0 sacks total, while Umanmielen added 1.5 by season's end.

Where the unit really shined was as ball hawks. Wonnum, Scourton, and Umanmielen either forced or recovered a fumble this season, with Wonnum's fumble recovery coming off a Brown forced fumble that gave the Panthers a huge Week 13 win. Wonnum also added an interception early in the season.

NEXT STEPS FOR 2026

Wonnum finished with less sacks this season (3.0) than he did in 2024 when playing half the year. It makes for an interesting conundrum for the Panthers this offseason. Wonnum proved in his first year here that he can be a force off the edge when coupled with a strong rusher on the other side as well. While the Panthers were pleased with the play of their rookies, it's rare for a young guy to receive a ton of attention, meaning that shifted to Wonnum.

It makes this free agency period interesting. Jones should be back in good health for offseason work, but does the club hit the free agency market to add another veteran presence, one that could draw double teams consistently, opening up lanes for possibly Jones and eventually Scourton and Umanmielen? Or add another young player in the draft? Or both?

With a stout defensive line and solid secondary, now in place, adding a dynamic pass-rusher could help the Panthers defense take the next step in 2026.