I certainly see your point, what with the Panthers actually ranking sixth in the NFL with 44 sacks last season despite reports of their demise. Yet I also see why draft analysts would latch onto the defensive end position, with no defensive end having more than six sacks last season (defensive tackle Kawann Short paced the Panthers with 11) and with Charles Johnson recording just one sack in his injury-hampered season after averaging 10.5 over the previous five years.
Analysts who do mock drafts in particular are apt to try to grab hold of a perceived position of need to guide them through the exercise.