Panthers GM Dan Morgan hints at draft strategy following free-agent frenzy
Following another active venture into free agency, Panthers GM Dan Morgan gave us a good idea of what he's looking for in the upcoming draft.
The Carolina Panthers ' offseason plans appear to be going quite swimmingly. President of football operations and general manager Dan Morgan spoke to reporters on Friday, following yet another active venture through free agency. And Morgan, in his opening statement, hinted at what (or who) he and the front office will now be targeting in the 2026 NFL Draft.
"We were able to retain a lot of our own, go outside the building and sign some free agents that we're really excited about," Morgan said. "Having that depth and frontline players that we added in free agency—I think it gives us a lot of flexibility headed into the draft to draft the best available player. " As Morgan noted, the team retained many of their own free agents—including wide receivers Jalen Coker, Brycen Tremayne and David Moore, linebackers Claudin Cherelus, Thomas Incoom and Trevis Gipson, defensive backs Akayleb Evans, Nick Scott and Isaiah Simmons and special teamers Sam Martin and JJ Jansen.
In all, the Panthers have brought back a total of 14 players from the 2025 roster. Carolina also addressed some of their most pressing needs with some of the open market's most coveted assets. The Panthers were able to reel in pass rusher Jaelan Phillips and inside linebacker Devin Lloyd on multi-year deals as well as left tackle Rasheed Walker, who is likely to start in place of an injured Ikem Ekwonu to start the campaign.
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