Two years ago, in Dave Canales's first season as the head coach of the Carolina Panthers, the team was a sieve on the defensive side of the ball. Particularly disturbing was this unit's play against the run. They allowed an NFL-high 179.8 yards per game on the ground, limited one of their 17 teams to fewer than 100 yards rushing, and watched their last six opponents run for at least 200 yards.
There was some improvement last season. The team finished 16th in the league against the run, giving up 123.3 yards per contest. However, Ejiro Evero's defense faded down the stretch in this regard.
This offseason, general manager Dan Morgan signed 2025 Pro Bowl linebacker Devin Lloyd and used a second-round draft choice on aggressive defensive tackle Lee Hunter (Texas Tech). And so far, it's been not so good for Canales's team.
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Last week, the Cleveland Browns totaled 132 yards rushing against Evero's defense in a 21-18 victory. Yes, that's a far cry from the 291 yards rolled up by the Bears in Week 1 and the 157 yards the Falcons managed at Atlanta in Week 2. However, Todd Monken's ground attack had totaled just 131 yards on the ground in his team's first two outings this season.
All told, it adds up to an NFL-high 580 yards rushing by their three foes (193.3 average), Carolina has allowed six rushing touchdowns, tied for the most in the league after three weeks.
Via Pro Football Focus , the Panthers' defensive line room of Derrick Brown, Bobby Brown III, Hunter, Aaron Hall, TeRah Edwards and Cam Jackson has not distinguished itself to date. Hall and Derrick Brown have been this group's best performers vs. the run, but neither has been a difference maker. Bobby Brown missed the Falcons' game, and Jackson played in 37 defensive snaps that week in what has been his only action this season.
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This week, the opponent is the Detroit Lions, who boats the ninth-ranked ground game in the league thanks to explosive runner Jahmyr Gibbs. He's rushed for 307 yards and four touchdowns, averaging 4.7 yards per carry. He's also caught 18 passes for 156 yards and a pair of scores.
Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report feels that both the Panthers and Packers are teams who could take a look At veteran defensive lineman Solomon Thomas, currently employed by the Tennessee Titans. Knox believes he could be had for a conditional seventh-round pick next year. The 10-year veteran, acquired in March from the Dallas Cowboys via trade, hasn't seen a lot of action with Robert Saleh's club this season (54 defensive snaps).
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"Thomas is set to be a free agent in 2027," explained Knox, "and if he isn't going to see the field often in Tennessee, the Titans should look to cash him in. He has strong rotational value, as evidenced by the 27 tackles and three tackles for loss he recorded last season."
Right now, the Panthers could use all the help they can get on defense. Evero's unit will already be down standout cornerbacks Jaycee Horn and Mike Jackson -both placed on injured reserve. Carolina's defensive depth will be severely tested the next month or so. Meanwhile, this team needs a lot more from its front seven, and that means sooner than later.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/panthers/onsi as Panthers Desperately Need to Trade for Titans Defender to Fix Glaring Issue .
