Carolina Panthers general manager Dan Morgan has made his name, at least over the last few years, by putting together a couple of very strong classes in the NFL draft. His track record in free agency, however, is a bit more up and down.
His first two big signings in 2024, guards Robert Hunt and Damien Lewis, have paid off rather handsomely thus far. But we can’t say the same about some of last year’s additions, with defensive linemen Tershawn Wharton and Bobby Brown III and outside linebacker Pat Jones II all failing to make a real impact in the first year of their deals.
One signing that did hit in 2025, though, was that of former Las Vegas Raiders safety Tre’Von Moehrig—who signed a three-year, $51 million deal with the intention of bringing some more physicality and flexibility to Carolina’s secondary. Well, he did just that—and, as the dust settled, earned himself an honorable mention in ESPN’s offseason rankings of the league’s top safeties.
Here, per senior NFL reporter Jeremy Fowler, is what a defensive backs coach had to say about Moehrig:
“One of the most versatile players in the league. He can play safety, dime or nickel. Really good rusher. He can blitz, take on blocks like an OLB and an LB and can also be productive in the deep part of the field.”
Not everyone was a huge fan of Moehrig’s first year with the Panthers. For his efforts, Pro Football Focus only gave him a 64.3 overall grade—just a little above average. That ranked him 50th out of 98 qualifying safeties.
But those grades are subjective—and Moehrig did his part, especially in run defense, where Carolina’s previous two starters at safeties were frequently run over in 2024 any time they attempted an open-field tackle. Moehrig finished the year with 103 combined tackles, including a career-best 14 for a loss to go with seven quarterback hits, three sacks and one interception.
The next step for Moehrig is to improve in coverage, where he allowed a 78.6-percent completion rate and a 90.0 passer rating.
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This article originally appeared on Panthers Wire: Panthers standout earns honorable mention in ESPN’s safety rankings
