The Carolina Panthers are heading into the 2025 NFL season with a record-setting number of rookies on their roster. The team announced that 12 rookies have made the 53-man active roster for their opening game against the Jacksonville Jaguars, surpassing the previous franchise record of 10. This marks nearly a quarter of the roster and is part of a broader strategy led by general manager Dan Morgan to create a sustainable foundation for future seasons.
“We definitely wanted to get younger,” said Morgan. “More of a younger team and build a really solid core for the future.”
Since becoming general manager, Morgan has overseen significant changes to the roster. Of the current 53 players, 40 have joined in the last two seasons under his leadership, with only seven remaining from before his arrival as assistant GM in June 2021.
The shift toward youth was evident during free agency when the Panthers signed five defensive contributors, none older than 28. Players like Christian Rozeboom (28), Tershawn Wharton (27), Tre’von Moehrig (26), Patrick Jones II (26), and Bobby Brown III (25) were brought in as part of this plan.
“I think just getting as young and healthy as we can get, not bringing guys in that have a history of injuries, I think that’s how you build a young core,” Morgan said. “You obviously need to mix some veterans in here and there for the leadership, and obviously, they have to be good players too. But that’s what you want.”
Currently, only eight Panthers players are over 30 years old, including long snapper JJ Jansen (39), backup quarterback Andy Dalton (37), punter Sam Martin (35), right tackle Taylor Moton (31), center Austin Corbett (30), wide receiver David Moore (30), defensive end A’Shawn Robinson (30), and safety Nick Scott (30). The presence of experienced players is seen as important for providing leadership across different position groups.
Morgan’s approach draws from his experience both as a former Panthers player—drafted in 2001 during a transitional period—and from his tenure with Seattle’s front office while they built a Super Bowl-winning team. He referenced linebacker Will Witherspoon’s development as an example: “I mean Will Witherspoon was young and really raw, but you know they played him, and they developed him,” Morgan said. “And then he turned out to be a really good linebacker for us.”
The emphasis on youth comes at times when teams are undergoing change. Previous rookie-heavy classes included those from 2007—featuring Jon Beason, Ryan Kalil, Charles Johnson—and from more recent years such as 2021, which produced key contributors like Jaycee Horn, Chuba Hubbard, Tommy Tremble, and Brady Christensen who remain central to today’s team.
Head coach Dave Canales highlighted the importance of evaluation and development: “I think it’s just the evaluation process,” Canales said. “Dan does a fantastic job of educating his staff for the types of players that we’re looking for…But we have a play-style here. Those are the things we’re looking for and counting on…And we’d love to build our team that way, with players who we hand-pick that fit these profiles. And then we will develop the football part of it as they grow up right in front of our eyes. So, really excited about the last two classes and the guys we have here.”
The current roster includes all eight draft picks from this year alongside five from last year’s class; some may not see immediate playing time but are expected to develop into larger roles over time.
When discussing first-round wide receivers Xavier Legette and Tetairoa McMillan—the latter being this year’s No. 8 overall pick—Canales noted McMillan’s progress: “I’ve just watched him attack every day and take the information he’s been given and master it…Now…he’s going to see different types of DBs…and so every week is going to be so valuable for TMac to just learn to grow…”
This deliberate move toward building around younger talent signals an organizational commitment aimed at long-term growth rather than short-term fixes.
