April 7, 2026, 6:05 a.m. ET<\/p>\n
Could the Carolina Panthers<\/a> add yet another big piece to their defense this offseason?<\/p>\n Yahoo Sports has named<\/a> six possible suitors for defensive lineman Dexter Lawrence II, who has reportedly requested a trade<\/a> from the New York Giants. Among their proposed field were the Panthers, who’d have themselves quite a front seven if they can somehow reel in the three-time Pro Bowler:<\/p>\n Carolina needs help on its defensive line, and really needs to add talent to that side of the ball overall. Lawrence checks those boxes, and he\u2019d be a matchup nightmare playing alongside incumbent anchor DT Derrick Brown. The Panthers also signed edge rusher Jaelan Phillips and linebacker Devin Lloyd in free agency. They don\u2019t have much cap space, but they may decide that one of the best ways to help Bryce Young continue developing is having a staunch defense under Ejiro Evero\u2019s command.<\/p>\n Lawrence\u2014who may be looking for a new, lucrative deal\u2014played a career-high 17 games in 2025. The Wake Forest, N.C. native and Clemson University product, however, tallied just half a sack\u2014a career-low over his seven-year NFL tenure.<\/p>\n The Panthers have done some fairly recent business with the Giants, as they shipped<\/a> pass rusher Brian Burns to New York in 2024. So the familiarity between the two front offices, even with new head coach John Harbaugh in town, is still there.<\/p>\n