5. Carolina Panthers
Losing Josh Norman could hurt here, but Carolina’s success a season ago on defense was more predicated on its ability to put up a dominant pass rush.
Carolina racked up the sixth-most sacks in the NFL in 2015, a clear indication that this aspect of the team’s defense played a huge role in its success. That’s only magnified by the league-best 73.5 quarterback rating the Panthers yielded.
With Norman now in Washington, it’s going to be extremely important for rookies James Bradberry and Daryl Worley to step into big roles without experiencing much of a learning curve.
It’s also going to be important for the team’s pass rush to continue its domination. This starts along the interior of the defensive line with Kawann Short, who is among the best pass-rushing defensive tackles in the league.
If defensive end Charles Johnson can return to earlier-career form after struggling with injuries last season, Carolina’s pass rush will be even better.
It is, however, the coverage abilities of linebackers Luke Kuechly and Thomas Davis that makes this unit tick. Their ability to act as solid underneath coverage makes the team’s secondary that much better. This won’t change in 2016.