Carolina Panthers are deeper. But here are 6 free agents who could make them better.

The good news for the Carolina Panthers is they left the NFL draft with fewer holes left to fill than they entered.

Offensive tackle Ikem Ekwonu, who was taken sixth overall, will likely become an instant starter. And linebacker Brandon Smith, who was drafted in the fourth round, has a chance to be a contributor too.

The Panthers are deeper than they were in 2021.

But there are still a few positions, including defensive line/edge rusher and linebacker, where Carolina could upgrade before the season begins.

According to overthecap.com, the Panthers have about $29.1 million in cap space. That includes the signing of Amare Barno and Kalen Barnes.

Remember, $10 million of that $29.1 million is for in-season moves, including the Panthers’ injured reserve and potential trades. And $8-9 million is for draft picks.

Carolina is not expected to make any big moves in the short term, as it waits to see what the Cleveland Browns and San Francisco 49ers do with their respective quarterbacks, Baker Mayfield and Jimmy Garoppolo.

So who is out there, and who could the Panthers probably afford?

Most free agents have found teams. The majority who are still on the market are either coming off serious injuries, were not productive last season, are out of Carolina’s price range or wouldn’t be considered upgrades.

But here are a few potential free agent targets, and why they would or wouldn’t work:

Jadeveon Clowney, DE

Clowney, a Rock Hill native, made $8 million on a one-year deal with the Cleveland Browns last season. But it was a prove it deal, after he didn’t have a single sack in eight games with Tennessee in 2020.

Known for driving a hard bargain, he’ll likely want more and could be out of Carolina’s price range.

But if the Panthers could get him for $8 million or less, he’s a viable option.

Clowney, 29, had nine sacks and two forced fumbles in 14 games for the Browns last season. By comparison, Brian Burns also had nine sacks in 2021 and made his first ever Pro Bowl.

He’d be a solid replacement for Haason Reddick, who led the Panthers last season with 11 sacks before signing with the Philadelphia Eagles.

Clowney, who was a star for the South Carolina Gamecocks, was drafted first overall in the 2014 NFL Draft. He has played for four different teams during his NFL career.

His mother worked in Charlotte, so he has ties to the area.

Jerry Hughes, DE

Hughes has missed only one game since the 2012 season, and even then, he was considered a healthy scratch.

Hughes, 34, might not be a long term option for the Panthers, but he could help temporarily if the price was right. His cap number in 2021 was $10.7 million, and the Panthers would not pay him that price.

Hughes’ production has fallen off in recent years. He had only two sacks in 2021, but also had two forced fumbles and three pass deflections.

His best seasons were in 2013 and 2014 when he had a pair of 10-sack seasons.

Hughes could provide depth behind edge Frankie Luvu, who could be a starter for Carolina.

Anthony Barr, LB

Barr, a 6-foot-5, 257-pound linebacker, spent the first eight years of his career with the Vikings, where he was named to the Pro Bowl for four consecutive seasons (2015-18).

Last season for Minnesota, he played in 11 of 17 games, had 72 tackles, 2.5 sacks and three interceptions.

Barr played for $10 million last season after taking a pay cut from $12.9 million.

He’ll likely be out of the Panthers’ price range and beyond what they’d be willing to spend for someone who is 30 years old and missed six games last season because of knee injuries.

Anthony Hitchens, LB

Hitchens, a 6-foot, 235-pound linebacker, remains on the free agent market months after the Kansas City Chiefs released him.

Hitchens was a solid linebacker in four seasons with the Chiefs. He had 135 total tackles, including eight tackles for loss, during the 2018 season. It was the best year of his career statistically.

Since then, he hasn’t had more than 88 tackles in a season.

Hitchens, 29, has experience playing middle linebacker, but hasn’t done so since 2017. He made $9 million in 2021, which would be much more than Carolina would be willing to spend on him.

Nick Kwiatkoski, LB

Kwiatkoski, 29, played the 2021 season with the Raiders where he was hampered by an ankle injury.

But he’s shown he can be a solid performer in the past. He had 81 tackles in 12 games in 2020 at middle linebacker for the Raiders.

He played last season for $7 million.

While linebacker Damien Wilson’s legal situation is a concern, he may be with the team this season. And paying another linebacker $7 million wouldn’t make sense.

Kwiatkoski visited the Falcons last week and is expected to sign somewhere soon, according to multiple reports.

Dont’a Hightower, LB

It’s hard to imagine Hightower on a team other than the Patriots, but he’s still on the market.

The 32-year-old linebacker is coming off a year where he didn’t play as many snaps as he has in the past. He had 64 tackles and 1.5 sacks in 15 games last season.

He isn’t putting up the same numbers he did when he was a two-time Pro Bowler, but he could be a solid option or rental, similar to his former teammate Stephon Gilmore.

Hightower made $8.8 million in 2021, which is a little high. At 32, he likely won’t get that much next season.

This story was originally published May 9, 2022 at 6:00 AM.