Potential waiver targets for the Panthers

A quick look who the Panthers may be eyeing with the top spot in the waiver priority.

While the Carolina Panthers may have gotten down to their initial 53 man roster, it is nowhere near set as at Wednesday at noon EST all of the players waived from the rest of the NFL teams can be claimed. The Panthers, having been the team with the worst record in the NFL last year, have the valuable position of being able to claim whomever they want so long as they cut a player from their roster to make room.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at some of the players the Panthers leadership team might be targeting.

Andre Carter II, OLB

Carter was a part of the 2023 draft class when he was coming out of Army. After going undrafted, he signed one of the largest undrafted free agent deals ever with the Minnesota Vikings. Fast forward to today, and Carter is coming off a strong preseason having put on a show in the final game versus the Eagles. At 6’6 and 255 lbs, Carter fits the mold and could be worthwhile target for an edge-rusher needy Panthers team.

Daequon Hardy, CB

Those who watched the Panthers last preseason game may recognize Hardy’s name, as it was brought up a few times by the announcers as an undrafted player from the 2024 class who was making waves in the Buffalo Bills training camp and preseason games. Hardy, while undersized at 5’9 and 181lbs, was one of the most productive cornerbacks in the NFL this preseason. It’s also worth noting that Hardy was a standout kick returner at Penn State and can play as a gunner on coverage units as well.

Kingsley Jonathan, OLB

Like Hardy, Jonathan is a recent cut from the Bills who is drawing some interest due to preseason production and perceived upside after coming to the sport later in life. Jonathan is 6’4 and 260lbs, which resembles the archetype that Defensive Coordinator Ejiro Evero has shown to prefer and a connection to the Bills that Dan Morgan seems to appreciate. If the Panthers are looking to add yet another defender to help set the edge, Jonathan might be their guy.

Natrone Brooks, CB

Brooks’ profile is similar to Hardy’s in that they are both roughly the same body type. Brooks, though, comes with the bonus that you’d be taking him away from the division rival Atlanta Falcons who look to stash him on the practice squad. Despite being 180lbs, Brooks was a tackling machine in the preseason, racking up well over 10 tackles according to PFF. Dan Morgan, a noted enthusiast of so-called “dogs”, probably also appreciate his fearless mentality.

KJ Henry, OLB

Henry was waived by the Washington Commanders even though he sported their top defensive grade through the preseason and was a 5th round draft pick only just last year. At 6’4 and 250 lbs, Henry has good size and a decent athletic profile that would make him a good candidate for the Panthers to claim and look to develop a player who seemingly received a raw deal in Washington due to the change in coaching staff.

Let me know which of these players intrigues you the most and feel free to add your own targets from around the league you think could improve the Panthers in the comments below!