Top 10 Carolina Panthers Players to Watch in the 2025 Season

A busy but exciting offseason has helped push the construction of the
Carolina Panthers
forward. While no one would consider them as actual Super Bowl contenders, at least not at the moment, there should be little doubt that the team and its roster are better off now than they were this time a year ago.

So, what does this improved group have to offer? Who are the lead dogs (or cats) in this ascending bunch?

Here are our top 10 players on the Panthers roster as we head towards the 2025 season . . .

10. DL Tershawn Wharton

The Panthers may have
missed out
on Milton Williams, the top prize of this year’s free-agency period. But their “consolation” prize isn’t too shabby either.

Soon after Williams shifted to New England, Carolina pivoted and
signed Wharton
to a three-year, $45 million pact. The 6-foot-1, 280-pounder spent each of his prior five NFL seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs, where he displayed continuous growth as a defender.

Wharton’s strength is as a pass rusher, as he can use his natural leverage and low center of gravity to explode and bull rush opposing blockers. He’s also quick and agile for his size and shows quality flashes as a run defender.

If that specific aspect takes the next step under defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero, the two-time Super Bowl champion could end up being a terrific investment for the Panthers.

9. LT Ikem Ekwonu

Ekwonu, who shined as a rookie in 2022, took a bit of a step back during his
sophomore campaign
. That regression, however, was a distant memory following his work this past season under new offensive line coach Joe Gilbert.

The former sixth overall pick showed considerable improvement in 2024, as he seemed more urgent in his pass sets and in his strikes at defenders. Although he did struggle with an occasional speed rush and was sometimes prone to the inside move, Ekwonu proved he could be a reliable pass protector on the blindside.

When you mix that development in with his elite presence as a run blocker, you might have yourself one of the most potent hog mollies in the game.

8. S Tre’Von Moehrig

One of the biggest needs this offseason, and even still to this point, has been the safety position. But general manager Dan Morgan and company took a nice step towards addressing it with the
signing of Moehrig
.

Moehrig will be a chess piece for the defense, as he can be an effective coverage defender at the single-high spot, roll down to the box or mug a gap to take on blockers on the point of attack and stifle the run. Overall, he’s a great athlete with high football intelligence.

7. LG Damien Lewis

Lewis, one of the two major additions from 2024, is a player who has progressed with each season—dating back to his time in Seattle.

His power is often on display. When he gets grips on opposing rushers, he sits and anchors down to stall their rushes.

The 6-foot-2, 327-pounder should continue to be a key piece in this maturing offense.

6. RT Taylor Moton

Carolina’s Mr. Consistent, Moton has remained one of the 10 best right tackles in the game. He’ll rarely miss a rep, and has proven to be an above-average blocker both in the passing and running games.

Moton did, however, uncharacteristically miss a little chunk of time in 2024. So a healthy 2025 campaign may result in a longer stay for the 30-year-old, who is entering the final season of his contract.

5. QB Bryce Young

It might be bold to list Young as a top-five player on the roster, especially after a nightmarish start to the 2024 season. But his
10-game stretch
to end the campaign showed he can be a franchise quarterback.

His poise, pocket navigation skills, accuracy and elite anticipation were on display in some big moments, despite a below-average crop of skill players at his disposal. With another year under head coach Dave Canales and the addition of
eighth overall pick
Tetairoa McMillan, Young’s arrow is pointing up.

4. RB Chuba Hubbard

Hubbard struggled to find his fit over the first few years of his NFL career. But he has since grown into one of the better rushers in the NFL—as evidenced by his 1,195-yard, 10-touchdown offering in 2024.

He has turned his vision, once a weakness, into a strength. Hubbard also has great contact balance and power to go along with his explosiveness and aggression.

3. RG Robert Hunt

Hunt is the tone-setter of the offense. He’s proved to be one of the best free-agent additions in recent franchise history, becoming a pillar for the Panthers and a first-time Pro Bowler right out of the chute.

The 6-foot-6, 323-pounder is reliable and a complete mauler in the trenches, with stunning power in his hands and frame. He’s great on the move and defenders have very little answers for him in his pass sets and as a run blocker.

He held his own and won several key matchups late in the season against the likes of Kansas City’s Chris Jones and Philadelphia’s Jalen Carter, establishing himself as one of the better right guards in the sport.

2. CB Jaycee Horn

After multiple injuries set him back during the first three years of his pro career, Horn stayed present by appearing in a career-high 15 contests in 2024. It is clear that when he maintains his health, he is one of the better corners in the NFL, and a franchise cornerstone in the secondary.

Horn, who received a
four-year, $100 million extension
this offseason, is a high-end press defender with exceptional spacing and awareness. That combination results in shutting down massive chunks of the field, like the best are able to do.

Another healthy year could catapult the first-time Pro Bowler into All-Pro consideration.

1. DL Derrick Brown

Brown may have been out for 16 of Carolina’s 17 games in 2024, but his absence proved his worth. Without him, the Panthers allowed the most rushing yards per game (179.8) and the
most points
(534) in league history.

He is one of the best run-defending interior linemen in the game, and arguably a top-five player at his position. What Brown does bring is phenomenal gap integrity, sensational power at the point of attack and consistent pressure as a pass rusher. He can take over at times and shut down opposing run games completely, as shown during his historic
103-tackle season
in 2023.

The Panthers will be happy to have him back on a defense that will look to make a significant improvement in 2025.

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This article originally appeared on Panthers Wire:
Ranking the top 10 players on the Carolina Panthers roster ahead of the 2025 season