Ranking the Panthers 2020 Opponents

Carolina has an extremely tough slate this upcoming season

The Panthers are heading into a rebuild under new head coach Matt Rhule and this year's schedule isn't going to do them many favors. There are a ton of tough matchups, including the NFC South divisional rivals - a division that got much better during the offseason. Today, we rank the Panthers 2020 opponents from weakest to strongest. 

13. Washington Redskins

The Panthers will meet up with their former head coach Ron Rivera at a date to be determined. This will be an interesting game as far as the reunion is concerned, but it could be a battle of two teams who are going at it for one of the top picks in the draft. Question marks surrounding Dwayne Haskins make the Redskins a non-contender as far as the 2020 season is concerned.

12. Los Angeles Chargers

Philip Rivers is now officially a member with the Colts and for now, it will be the Tyrod Taylor show. That is, until the team drafts either Justin Herbert or Tua Tagovailoa. Star running back Melvin Gordon is now with the Broncos, which means L.A. will be in a serious rebuild this fall.

11. Detroit Lions 

Aside from Matthew Stafford, there's not a whole lot to like about the Lions. Darius Slay has moved on and they will likely be in the running for the No. 1 pick, especially if Stafford struggles to stay healthy.

10. Minnesota Vikings

The Vikes are a tough team to gauge. They will have to find a way to replace the production of Stefan Diggs, but luckily they still have Adam Thielen and Dalvin Cook to make the offense go. 

9. Denver Broncos

Drew Lock got a huge boost to his team's running game with the addition of Melvin Gordon. Even with Gordon, the Broncos seem to still be a year or two away from being true contenders. 

8. Las Vegas Radiers

The Las Vegas Raiders. That felt weird to type. The black and silver will kickoff their inaugural season in the "Sin City" and will have an interesting quarterback battle between Derek Carr and Marcus Mariota. They have a lot of holes to fill and could hover around .500 record throughout much of the year.

7. Chicago Bears

Another interesting quarterback battle between Nick Foles and Mitch Trubisky that will have a huge impact on how well the Bears perform in 2020. Defense shouldn't be a problem as they have the best player in the game with Khalil Mack.

6. Arizona Cardinals

Look for the Cardinals to take a major step forward this season as Kyler Murray enters his second year in the NFL and now, he's got one of the best receivers in the game, DeAndre Hopkins. They may not be quite a playoff team just yet, but they're on the cusp.

5. Atlanta Falcons

The Falcons added two things this offseason: a workhorse running back in Todd Gurley, and some really ugly uniforms. But seriously, the addition of Todd Gurley will be extremely beneficial to balance out the offensive attack. Julio Jones will be a nightmare for the Panthers young corners to cover.

4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers 

Just when you thought the division couldn't get any tougher, Tom Brady joins the Buccaneers. Now, Tampa is considered to be a team on the rise and rightfully so. However, the Tampa defense is atrocious aside from Shaq Barrett and they won't be able to outscore everyone week in and week out. Their offensive line needs major improvement as well, but if they can iron that out, look for the Bucs to make some serious noise.

3. Green Bay Packers

The Packers are finally starting to put together a complete team with the defense finally coming around. They will need to add a serious threat on the perimeter early in the draft. Aaron Rogers hasn't quite been himself recently, but if he finds it again, watch out. 

2. New Orleans Saints

In Drew Brees' last ride, there is no question that he will have a stellar season and go out with a bang. With guys like Alvin Kamara and Michael Thomas, that offense will be a handful for the Panthers. Unfortunately for Carolina, they have to see them twice a year. 

1. Kansas City Chiefs

This was a no-brainer. The Super Bowl defending champs will be in position to go back-to-back and have the weaponry to do so.  Patrick Mahomes is by far the best quarterback in the league and will certainly put up monstrous numbers once again.