PFF PANTHERS 2025 best and worst of offense and defense

[raleigh-panther]

Best of the offense

1. RT Taylor Moton: 81.0.

2. WR Tetairoa McMillan: 79.3

3. LG Damien Lewis: 77.7

4. WR Jalen Coker: 75.4

5. RG Brady Christensen: 72.7

Moton's excellence continues, as he's now finished with a top-three offensive grade for Carolina in six of the last seven seasons. The former second-round pick, amongst Panthers with at least 100 offensive snaps, has taken the No. 1 spot three times since 2020.

McMillan and Coker led the team in the passing game—with 79.2 and 75.3 receiving grades, respectively. The former also comes away 1,014 receiving yards, the most ever for a Panthers rookie.

Worst of the offense

18. C Cade Mays: 61.0

19. WR Hunter Renfrow: 56.9

20. WR Xavier Legette: 52.0

21. TE Ja'Tavion Sanders: 51.6

22. RG Chandler Zavala: 43.5

Save for wideout David Moore, Legette and Sanders finished with the offense's two lowest receiving grades (54.0 and 50.2). Both also took a dip in production from their rookie campaigns, with Legette going from 497 receiving yards to 363 and Sanders from 342 to 190.

Zavala, amongst Panthers at that 100-snap mark, has finished with the unit's worst overall grade in two of his three NFL seasons.

 

Best of the defense

1. CB Mike Jackson: 83.5

2. DL Derrick Brown: 73.3

3. CB Corey Thornton: 68.5

4. OLB Nic Scourton: 68.0

5. DL A'Shawn Robinson: 63.7

Excluding his 26-snap season in 2021, Jackson hit a career-high with an 85.8 coverage grade. According to PFF, he allowed a 65.1 passer rating when targeted—the 10th-best amongst all cornerbacks with at least 100 coverage snaps.

Brown now has three top-two finishes for Carolina in his last three full seasons. He had the Panthers' top overall defensive grade in 2022 (84.4) and 2023 (90.1).

 

Worst of the defense

17. OLB Princely Umanmielen: 49.8

18. ILB Christian Rozeboom: 48.4

19. DL LaBryan Ray: 45.7

20. ILB Krys Barnes: 43.9

21. DL Tershawn Wharton: 43.0

Wharton's 34.5 run defense grade was the worst amongst all 31 players who recorded a defensive snap for Carolina in 2025.

Rozeboom tied for a team-high 19 missed tackles.

 

 

 

[Growl]

I don’t think they’ll make the two first round pick plus mega deal super swap that people think of when you say “all in” but I absolutely think they’ll reconsider the platoon strategy when it comes to signing free agents this offseason

shouldve just given Milton Williams a little extra 

Edited 9 hours ago by Growl

[raleigh-panther]

Just now, Growl said:

I don’t think they’ll make the two first round mega deal super swap that people think of when you say “all in” but I absolutely think they’ll reconsider the platoon strategy when it comes to signing free agents this offseason

shouldve just given Milton Williams a little extra 

I don’t think he really wanted to be in Carolina…not sure Evero was much of a selling point.   That’s just me though.  I’m prejudiced 

[AggieLean]

Mike Jack!

[jb2288]

Why were people so upset about us extending Moton? I remember people were pissed around here when we did

[hepcat]

3 hours ago, AggieLean said:

Mike Jack!

Stats back up he was the best corner on the team easily. Passed Horn by a mile this year. WAY better tackler. 

[strato]

4 hours ago, jb2288 said:

Why were people so upset about us extending Moton? I remember people were pissed around here when we did

I think because they feared he was breaking down physically. He has always been a good player. 

[KillaCamNewton]

everyone is pounding the desk for an edge or mlb but ive been warming up to the idea of getting a stud DT to pair with DB. i think that honestly moves the needle more than anything

[hepcat]

5 minutes ago, KillaCamNewton said:

everyone is pounding the desk for an edge or mlb but ive been warming up to the idea of getting a stud DT to pair with DB. i think that honestly moves the needle more than anything

Edge or DT isn’t a bad decision. There aren’t many positions they could draft in the first round that would be a bad idea outside maybe CB and HB

[AceMan]

Yeah, we got to improve the front 7 badly!

[strato]

26 minutes ago, KillaCamNewton said:

everyone is pounding the desk for an edge or mlb but ive been warming up to the idea of getting a stud DT to pair with DB. i think that honestly moves the needle more than anything

I can’t say that wouldn’t be great to have, but we Have to have some ILB talent out there. 

[Jay Roosevelt]

1 hour ago, KillaCamNewton said:

everyone is pounding the desk for an edge or mlb but ive been warming up to the idea of getting a stud DT to pair with DB. i think that honestly moves the needle more than anything

Anything stud player in the front 7 will help out. The secondary isn't bad, but we have to get some more juice upfront and at LB.

[DaveThePanther2008]

4 hours ago, hepcat said:

Stats back up he was the best corner on the team easily. Passed Horn by a mile this year. WAY better tackler. 

And we stole him from Seattle for a draft pick that didn't even make the team.