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, and inside linebackers on Wednesday.

CHARLOTTE — The safety room, arguably more than any other unit on defense, has seen the most turnover the past couple of years as Dan Morgan and Ejiro Evero searched for talent, consistency, and someone who could fit within the scheme. In 2025, the group started to hit their stride, setting a foundation for where they can go next.

To start, the Panthers returned Nick Scott, the longtime veteran in this system (he played for Evero at the Los Angeles Rams) and moved him to a starting role. It provided a veteran presence for the rookie Lathan Ransom, who ended up playing just over a third of the defensive snaps in his first season.

Most of the time though, Carolina employed a single-high look with Scott, while letting Tre'von Moehrig roam as needed. It was what the Panthers envisioned when signing Moehrig as a free agent this offseason, and it paid off. The safety finished with the third-most tackles on the team last season, following only linebacker Christian Rozeboom and his fellow safety, Scott.

Moehrig's versatility makes it hard to think of him as just as a safety and it's allowed the Panthers to play a more free defense all over the field.

"He's a very, very, very unique chess piece," emphasized Evero during the season of Moehrig. "The ability to play safety, the ability to play linebacker, the ability to play nickel, play outside backer in some of our packages. We've placed him all over the place."

Added defensive lineman A'Shawn Robinson, "He's the first (safety) in my career that I've seen like that. He's a D-lineman in my book, how he plays, but he has that fire. He doesn't care what size; if the O-lineman comes out, he's going to strike him, get on and off the block, and make that tackle.

"So I can respect him. All praise, like to me, he's an All-Pro. He's an All-Pro safety."

UNDER CONTRACT FOR 2026: Tre'von Moehrig (2027), Lathan Ransom (2028), and Demani Richardson (2026).

UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENTS: Nick Scott, Isaiah Simmons.

WHAT WENT RIGHT IN 2025

As mentioned, Moehrig's addition opened up a lot of things for the Panthers safety unit and defense as a whole. Because he was playing so close to the line, he finished with 103 tackles (third on the team), including a team-leading 14 tackles for loss. He also added 3.0 sacks, two passes defensed, and an interception, the latter of which helped win the Week 9 game against the Green Bay Packers.

Moehrig was able to roam more because the Panthers trusted Scott to hold down the back end, something he did to the tune of 111 tackles (second-most on the team), three passes defensed, and an interception. Speaking of picks that helped swing a game, it was Scott who picked off Matthew Stafford in Week 13, ruining an NFL record 28 touchdown streak without an interception. Scott picked him off in the end zone, taking away the Rams chance to score in what concluded as a three-point Panthers win.

It was the rookie Ransom though who had one of the biggest turnovers of the season. During the Week 16 matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, a game the Panthers had to win to maintain control of the NFC South, Baker Mayfield was driving the Bucs downfield with less than a minute remaining. Ransom sat back while veteran receiver Mike Evans ran a different route than Mayfield was expecting. Ransom took advantage, picking off Mayfield for a game-sealing interception.

It was a fitting cap to a rookie season that gave the Panthers a good look at who Ransom can be in this defense. He finished with 51 total tackles, the pick, and two passes defensed, as well as a forced fumble.

NEXT STEPS FOR 2026

Scott is a free agent again, since he was on a one-year deal when signing last offseason. He started all 17 games and played 98 percent of the defensive snaps. Regardless what the Panthers did close to the line, Scott was almost always the guy they trusted deep. So whether the club re-signs Scott or brings in someone new, expect it to be an experienced defensive back who can handle that kind of workload in the secondary.

Ransom should see his workload increase as he becomes more comfortable in the defense, and Evero will likely continue to utilize Moehrig as his favorite chess piece.

One of the more interesting decisions to make within the unit this offseason? The Isaiah Simmons conundrum. The former first-rounder proved himself to be a valuable special teamer in 2025, including blocking a punt during the wild card game against the Rams.