Last year, the Carolina Panthers had two good things on defense: a secondary and an interior line. Thanks to Derrick Brown , Jaycee Horn , and Mike Jackson , those two things were quite solid. The pass rush and linebacker play were not good.
So, over the offseason, the Panthers sought to improve those things. They signed Jaelan Phillips and Devin Lloyd to address the two most glaring holes the defense had. It worked, as despite barely playing this preseason, both acquisitions have looked outstanding.
That should leave the Panthers with a fully rounded defense, right? Not exactly, as the team obviously still has issues. In fact, they still have some issues, even among the perceived strengths from 2025.
Carolina Panthers cornerback Chau Smith-Wade (26) reacts after a turnover against the Jacksonville Jaguars | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Jaycee Horn and Mike Jackson were both elite last year in coverage. Tre'von Moehrig was an excellent run-defending safety. Those two things helped cover up the fact that elsewhere, the 2025 secondary had issues.
Most notably, the slot and safety positions (in coverage) were not good. According to this post, Moehrig and Chau Smith-Wade were the two worst players in catch rate allowed by a defensive back.
Smith-Wade allowed a whopping 84.6% catch rate, which is 14.1% higher than expected. Moehrig allowed a 79.6% catch rate, which was 4.8% over expected. Both numbers are pretty dismal, and they reveal a troubling hole in the defense.
Both appear poised to start again this year. Moehrig is the Panthers' best safety, and Smith-Wade has outplayed Corey Thornton for the nickel position. But neither of them are good at covering opposing pass-catchers.
That leaves the Panthers with a predicament. How can they manage two gaping holes in coverage? Opposing offenses will simply seek to find those holes and exploit them. They'll put a good pass-catcher in the slot or send him deep into Moehrig's zone.
The Panthers have to address that by doing two things. First, they need to start the right safety opposite Moehrig to help overcome his coverage woes. If he can focus on the run game, then the other safety can pick up the slack, whether that's Nick Scott or Zakee Wheatley.
Carolina Panthers cornerback Jaycee Horn (8) makes a catch during training camp | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
But with the nickel spot, the Panthers have a trickier task. They have to have three cornerbacks out there. Jaycee Horn has experimented in the slot, but he can't play there all the time, and who knows how he'll do in that role in an actual game?
Doing that forces Will Lee into the lineup, and he has not had a brilliant preseason either, to say the least. He struggled in the Hall of Fame Game notably, so the Panthers can't just put him out there every play.
The improved pass rush and Devin Lloyd's coverage in the middle should help everyone, but those two things could be the determining factor in how good this defense can actually be.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/panthers/onsi as The Panthers Might Have a Serious Problem on Defense .
