Four questions for the Carolina Panthers after conclusion of 2025 NFL Draft
The Carolina Panthers’ front office accomplished a lot in the 2025 NFL Draft.
They granted quarterback Bryce Young’s wish by drafting Tetairoa McMillan with the No. 8 pick. They picked up two dynamic Edge rushers in rounds two and three. And then on Day 3, they added a running back, a safety, a tight end, a defensive tackle and a wide receiver.
The moves Carolina made this weekend addressed a lot of roster concerns as the Panthers load up their 90-man roster ahead of the rest of their offseason program.
But of course questions still linger.
Here are the four big questions confronting the Panthers — and the early answers to those questions from head coach Dave Canales and general manager Dan Morgan.
How did the NFL Draft impact Ickey Ekwonu?
The Carolina Panthers didn’t end up drafting an offensive tackle in this year’s draft. Minutes after the draft’s conclusion, Morgan told reporters that the team planned on picking up Ickey Ekwonu’s fifth-year option.
Coincidence?
You should think not.
The Panthers had until May 1 to make a decision on the Panthers’ first-round draft pick of 2022. Now, Ekwonu will see his deal extended through the 2026 season, with his salary estimated at $17.5 million, according to Over The Cap. He will make a $1.1 million salary this season after receiving a $3.36 million roster bonus this offseason.
Such a move also impacted right tackle Taylor Moton, the 30-year-old who is set to have a $31,347,918 cap hit in 2025, per Over The Cap. Morgan has said that the Panthers plan to pay out Moton’s salary through 2025 and see what happens from there.
He reiterated that Saturday.
“We love Taylor,” Morgan said. “Taylor is obviously a really good player. We’re excited about him and this season. And from there, we’ll get together and figure out the future. But right now, we’re focused on the now.”
Panthers add two offensive weapons with return experience. What does that mean for roster?
The Panthers added two offensive weapons on Day 3 who also have robust return experience. The first was running back Trevor Etienne out of Florida in the fourth round and then Jimmy Horn Jr. out of Colorado in the sixth round.
How they stack up in their respective offensive depth charts is pretty simple:
Etienne will conceivably be in the mix with Rico Dowdle in a reserve role beneath starting running back Chuba Hubbard, with Jonathon Brooks expecting to spend most of 2025 recovering from knee surgery.
And Horn will be running with a receiver group that got a pair of upgrades this offseason. That group includes overall No. 8 pick Tetairoa McMillan, Xavier Legette, veteran Adam Thielen and Jalen Coker.
But where will Etienne and Horn land in the return game?
The Panthers, after all, still have some work to do in this department. The team re-signed Raheem Blackshear, last year’s starting punt- and kick-returner, this offseason to a one-year deal. But potential upgrades might have already come.
Canales was asked about Horn’s punt-returning ability on Saturday.
“He’s a dynamic punt returner,” the coach said. “It’s really fun to watch. But he’s more than that. If you look at his body of work just as a true receiver, he’s got an explosive element to him.”
Will the Panthers be aggressive in adding a kicker?
The Panthers still have a ways to go before their 90-man roster is filled come training camp later this summer. The team was at 78 players at the conclusion of the draft.
The next step in adding to their team? Adding free agents and players who went undrafted.
While several needs remain, one that is pressing is kicker. The team let Eddy Piñeiro test free-agency this summer and signed journeyman Matthew Wright as a result. But Morgan made clear that the team is likely to add another kicker to the roster to compete during the team’s offseason program.
“We’ll be aggressive at that position and others as well,” Morgan said when asked about the kicker spot. “We need to fill a roster out to the 90-man limit, and we’re going to sign the best players. And we’ll be aggressive post-free agency just like during the draft. So we’ll stick to that philosophy.”
Teams can sign rookie undrafted free agents immediately after the NFL Draft concludes, per league rules. And the Panthers did so when they signed former Florida State kicker Ryan Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald went 13-of-13 last year and ended his five-year college career 58-of-74 overall.
What are the four biggest roster needs remaining?
The team removed a huge chunk of roster needs between free agency and the draft. But make no mistake: Needs remain for a team that is trying to improve from its 5-12 season.
The four that jump off the page:
▪ Kicker, as previously mentioned.
▪ Safety, despite the Panthers investing in a “tone-setting,” hard-hitting, run-stopping monster in Lathan Ransom out of Ohio State, the Panthers still need to address this postion. Why? Because this still makes only four safeties on the roster: free-agent addition Tre’Von Moehrig, Demani Richardson, Ransom and Nick Scott.
▪ Cornerback. The team didn’t pick up a CB in this year’s draft and didn’t add to the room in free-agency — though they did extend Pro Bowl corner Jaycee Horn and re-sign Mike Jackson, one of the most pleasant of surprises for the Panthers in 2024.
▪ Inside linebacker. There were some opportunities for the Panthers to upgrade their stack of inside linebackers in this year’s draft, but the Panthers will have to look elsewhere to do so this offseason. Their current depth chart includes: Christian Rozeboom, Josey Jewell, Trevin Wallace, Claudin Cherelus, Jacoby Windmon, Jon Rhattigan, Chandler Wooten and Boogie Basham.
This story was originally published April 26, 2025 at 7:33 PM.
