Cornerback

Captain Munnerlyn really struggled in his first year as a starter. The 5-8 cornerback really belongs in the slot, where he was an above average nickelback before this season. Meanwhile, they struggled to find consistently in that nickelback spot this season, with guys like Darius Butler and RJ Stanford playing there this season. If they can get a new starting cornerback opposite Chris Gamble, who played very well this season, and move Munnerlyn back into the slot, I expect they’ll be much better next season against the pass than the 8.4 YPA they allowed this season, worst in the league.

 Defensive Tackle

The Panthers really sucked against the run in 2010 so they drafted two defensive tackles, Terrell McClain and Sione Fua, in the 3^rd round. However, neither of them were very good this season and they ranked 25^th against the run. They were just 3^rd round picks so I could definitely see them using an early pick on another defensive tackle in the mix.

Safety

Their struggles against the pass didn’t end with their cornerback. Obviously when you rank last in the league against the pass, one position is not solely to blame. Neither of their safeties, Charles Godfrey and Sherrod Martin, were very good. They need a new safety in the mix.

 

Wide Receiver

Coming into the season, Steve Smith was a 32 year old receiver coming off a season in which he had just 46 catches for 554 yards and 2 touchdowns. He had also demanded a trade. However, looks like all he needed was a new quarterback as he and Cam Newton combined for 79 catches for 1394 yards and 7 touchdowns, making him one of the most productive receivers in the league once more. However, he does turn 33 this offseason and after him, they don’t have a lot of talent at wide receiver. Brandon LaFell is a solid #2 receiver, I guess. Legedu Naanee provides solid depth and David Gettis had a good rookie season before a serious injury ended his 2011 season, but if Steve Smith declines significantly or leaves as a free agent after the 2012 season, they won’t have a very good receiving corps. They should start looking at another young receiver to develop for the future. They drafted Kealoha Pilares in the 5^th round of the 2011 NFL Draft, but he didn’t play anything other than special teams last season.

Offensive Tackle

Jeff Otah is a great right tackle when healthy, but he hasn’t been for two seasons. In his absence, Bryon Bell was awful last season, allowing 7 sacks, 26 pressures, committing 12 penalties, while struggling as a run blocker. With Otah’s health being a question going forward, they need better depth at the position. Otah could also be moved to guard long term.

Outside Linebacker

Injuries to Thomas Davis and Jon Beason really hurt their defense in 2011. Beason should be back in 2012 because he doesn’t have a history of injury problems, but Davis does. In fact, he’s expected to be a cap casualty. They don’t have very good depth on the outside so they probably need one more outside linebacker in the mix. They could resign Dan Connor, a free agent who played well at middle linebacker in Beason’s absence, but he might not be a great fit on the outside.