4 Reasons Panthers Will Make the Playoffs in 2025 After Bryce Young’s Resurgence

The Carolina Panthers were seen as a team going nowhere fast in the 2024 season. The broader general consensus was that the team’s front office had made a significant mistake by trading assets to secure the number one pick in the 2023 NFL Draft and using that top pick to pass Brice Young instead of CJ Stroud, who looked like a borderline MVP in the first two years of his career.

However, that story changed completely during the 2024 season. After a slow start, Young has made shocking improvements and emerged as a reliable top-15 running back in the league.

Young’s game is sustainable, and the Panthers could reap the benefits next season. Let’s take a look at four reasons why this team could start making postseason noise sooner than expected.

Xavier Legette

Every star quarterback needs a receiver teammate they can trust to make big plays. Legette is quickly turning into that guy in Carolinaand Young began to rely more on the young receiver down the stretch. Legette has strong hands and the ability to create separation and adjust to the ball in the air.

The Legette has decent height and weight measurements, but what really stands out is its speed. The talented rookie has already hit a top speed in excess of 22 miles per hour this season and at times looks like a rookie version of Tyreek Hill on the field.

We saw what Hill could do for a quarterback in Kansas City as he helped Patrick Mahomes develop into a superstar. Although Mahomes proved to be excellent with all receivers, he had a special knack for making big plays by throwing the ball to Hill deep downfield and letting the rusher make big plays.

Young is nowhere near the quarterback level of Mahomes, especially in terms of explosiveness and big play ability. But he’s certainly making impressive progress, even if he’s nowhere near Mahomes’ superstar status.

Regardless of Young’s ultimate ceiling, however, having a deep threat like Legette who can take the edge off a defense is a real luxury for any signal caller. That’s especially true for a young quarterback who is still growing as a player and as a leader.

Young has plenty of intangibles

Speaking of leadership, that’s one thing Yang has always shown. Regardless of what else happens and how he performs on the court each week, maturity and leadership are two things Young has in spades. That’s one reason the team felt comfortable taking him with the first overall draft pick ahead of guys like Ohio State’s CJ Stroud and Kentucky’s Will Lewis.

Young’s leadership will provide a steady hand as the team goes through the inevitable ups and downs as it develops into a postseason contender chasing conference championships and Super Bowl rings.

The Panthers are gaining valuable experience

While Young has shown impressive improvement, no single player can make that much of a difference and propel a team to contender status, no matter how good they are.

However, there is another important reason why the Panthers will be able to build on their experience next season and make the jump from a top-8 draft team to a credible playoff contender.

What will really take the team to new heights is the experience they gain this season. Alabama’s star quarterback and his teammates are starting their careers together and will continue to grow alongside each other for many seasons to come. Young is learning how to make the most of the skill sets and abilities of Leggett and his fellow future playmakers.

The team’s offensive linemen are learning how to work together as well as wanting to keep Young upright, and the quarterback is also learning the strengths and weaknesses of his line. This will help the line make better blocking decisions to prevent Young’s pressure.

The experience will also help the former Alabama star make better decisions about when to stay in the pocket, when to drop and throw on the run, when to pull in and run to gain yardage himself, and when to just throw the ball out. in order to live to fight another day.

The Panthers have another top-10 pick

While the Panthers gained valuable experience, this season was about a team working its way through the steep learning curve that comes with developing at the professional level. They took their lumps this year, and their record reflects that.

This is by no means a bad thing, as the team is learning how to win, which will serve them well in the future, while also giving them another chance to add a dynamic playmaker.

With the eighth overall pick in this year’s draftthey will almost certainly be able to add an impact offensive lineman or defensive lineman. Kelvin Banks Jr. could be available, Will Johnson is a possibility, and Mason Graham should even still be on the board.