1. Left Tackle
Carolina has messed around with Cam Newton's health for too long. After losing Jordan Gross to retirement last offseason, the team did nothing to replace him along Newton's blindside. This simply can't be the case in 2015. The Panthers may have signed Michael Oher, but he's nowhere near a starting-caliber tackle at this stage, let alone a left tackle. In reality, neither is Nate Chandler.
In order to protect their franchise quarterback and actually show him they are invested in him, the Panthers must get him a franchise left tackle. That's where Miami's Ereck Flowers and Stanford's Andrus Peat come into play. Experienced playing the role as a blindside protector; Peat would make the most sense at 25. In any event, Carolina must seriously consider spending its first rounder on a tackle.
2. Cornerback
Carolina has only one starter-caliber corner in Josh Norman. Outside of that, this position is about as thin as any in the National Football League. Even then, Norman is not a true shutdown type guy. While Ron Rivera's scheme might not need that, it does need another starter.
Let's assume for a second Carolina will address tackle in the first round, it will likely go for a taller, more physical cornerback on Day 2. At 6'1", LSU's Jalen Collins makes sense. However, he's unlikely going to be available in the second half of the second round. A likelier scenario here would be USC's Josh Shaw in Round 3. Interestingly enough, Shaw could also transition to free safety—another position of need.
3. Wide Receiver
Kelvin Benjamin has the looks of a true No. 1 receiver after a stellar rookie season. With him acting as Newton's primary target on the outside, Carolina can now target a starter opposite him. The good news here is that the 2015 NFL draft is stacked at wide receiver. The Panthers could potentially wait to see if someone like Ohio State's Devin Smith falls to them in the second round. They could also look for a high-upside option in USC's Nelson Agholor. Both of these players could act as a solid complement.
4. Free Safety
Carolina's best option here would be to find a corner and move him to free safety, especially considering that type of player could be of the two-high variety. We mentioned Josh Shaw before, but a mid-round option such as Mississippi's Senquez Golson could act as the team's version of Tyrann Mathieu