The Carolina Panthers have some level of optimism heading into the 2025 season. Towards the end of the year, their first overall pick from a year ago, Bryce Young, finally found his footing in the NFL, delivering some consistent performances.
Going into a new season, the team and the fanbase will be hoping for a better showing. After an excellent offseason, the Panthers have their sights set on a competitive 2025. However, one analyst believes they could target a player with tremendous upside to bolster their roster.
Carolina Panthers Should Focus on Cornerback
During the offseason, Carolina spent the majority of its assets on improving the defense. In free agency, they added a bunch of names like Tre’von Moehrig, Tershawn Wharton, Bobby Brown III, and Patrick Jones II.
A similar pattern followed in the 2025 NFL Draft as well, with Nic Scourton and Princely Umanmielen serving as excellent pieces to the lineup. The hope in the front office has to be that the unit can tune out a better performance than in 2024, where they ranked dead last in PFSN’s Defense+ metric.
While the offense also got some additions in the form of Rico Dowdle, Tetairoa McMillan, Mitchell Evans, and Jimmy Horn Jr., the progression of Young is going to be the biggest boost for them. Instead, Brandon Austin of PFSN wants them to add another piece to the defense.
Among the remaining free agents, Austin believes cornerback Asante Samuel Jr. is the perfect pairing for them. With the incoming Moehrig and Ransom, the likely duo at safety, the corner position remains weak for the Panthers.
Outside of Jaycee Horn, the depth is barren, leading to Austin’s vote of confidence for Samuel. A second-round pick in 2021, he spent the first four years of his career with the Los Angeles Chargers.
He came into his own during their playoff appearance in 2022, recording three interceptions in a single half against the Jacksonville Jaguars. That momentum carried over to the 2023 season, which was his best year to date.
ASANTE SAMUEL JR. HAS THREE INT 😱 pic.twitter.com/MNhsgYegP5
— ESPN (@espn) January 15, 2023
“After showing steady growth over his first few seasons, Samuel was strong in 2023, allowing just three touchdowns on a career-high target total and holding opponents to a 60.4% completion rate.” However, a shoulder injury put him out of action early last season.
But Austin still has high hopes for the second-generation star. “Though his progress was interrupted, Samuel still offers promising upside. He comes with a legitimate NFL pedigree, a high football IQ, and strong ball skills.”
At 25, he has his entire career ahead of him. Carolina might be smart to pick him up on the low and potentially let him blossom. A low-risk, high-upside pick up to address their biggest weakness heading into next season might be too good of an opportunity for the Panthers to pass up.