CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Friday night felt like a changing of the guard at edge rusher for the Carolina Panthers, with two coming in and one seemingly on his way out.
Panthers general manager Dan Morgan traded up twice to take a pair of outside linebackers from the SEC — Texas A&M’s Nic Scourton and Ole Miss’ Princely Umanmielen, who will bring distinct pass rush styles when they arrive in Charlotte for next month’s rookie minicamp.
Watching the second night of the draft unfold, you began to count the edge rushers on Carolina’s roster and wondered what had to give. It very well could be the former No. 1 overall pick and one of the most accomplished players on the roster.
Jadeveon Clowney signed a two-year, $20 million contract in 2024 when the Panthers were scrambling to find a veteran edge guy to replace Brian Burns, whom they traded last offseason to the New York Giants. Clowney tied for the team lead with 5.5 sacks. But the 32-year-old has become something of a pass-rushing mercenary over the latter part of his career, playing for six teams over the last seven years.
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And the Rock Hill, S.C., native might be moving on again.
Morgan was noncommittal when asked about that possibility Friday, saying: “We’re still working through the roster. We’re still talking through things. Obviously, we’re focused on the draft right now and what’s in front of us.”
What confronted the Panthers on Friday was an opportunity to add some juice to a stagnant pass rush with a double-dip in college football’s premiere conference.
“The roster is all about adding competition and adding depth,” Morgan said. “Especially at a position (where) last year I felt like we needed to get a little more pass rush out there.”
As bad as the Panthers’ defense was in 2024 at stopping the run and preventing the opponent from scoring, the feeble pass rush kind of got lost in the weeds. But the Panthers’ 32 sacks tied for the third-fewest in the NFL, ahead of only Atlanta (31) and New England (28).
The Patriots addressed their defensive line with several free agent acquisitions, outbidding the Panthers for former Eagles defensive tackle Milton Williams. And the Falcons did their own double-dip at edge in Thursday’s first round, taking Georgia’s Jalon Walker at 15 and then trading back into the first for Tennessee’s James Pearce.
Friday it was Morgan’s turn. The second-year GM conceded he didn’t think he’d be able to land both Scourton and Umanmielen. But he pulled it off by swapping four picks over four rounds with Denver to draft Scourton at 51, then trading with the Patriots to move up for Umanmielen at 77.
Panthers coach Dave Canales said he’d run through hundreds of draft scenarios on the team’s simulator, and never emerged from the first three rounds with Arizona wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan (the Panthers’ pick at 8), Scourton and Umanmielen.
“I didn’t get that, not once, in any of my mocks in the first three picks,” Canales said. “So I’m just ecstatic right now.”
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Scourton nearly ate his way into an interior line position last year after transferring from Purdue to Texas A&M, the hometown school that had not recruited him out of high school. The 6-foot-2 Scourton started last season at 285 pounds, but was 275 by December after his dad started buying him prepared meals every week.
Scourton weighed in at 257 pounds at the combine, and is feeling better than last fall when he was skipping breakfast and lunch, snacking during the day then eating a big, carbo-loaded dinners before bedtime.
“I’m a younger player, so just growing into my body, building those leg muscles, getting stronger,” said Scourton, who won’t turn 21 until late August. “Understanding my body I think will help a lot. I’m quicker, I’m faster stronger, I’m stronger.”
While the compact Scourton relied more on a bull rush with a spin and a high motor to beat blockers, the 6-foot-4, 244-pound Umanmielen tried to avoid them all together — thanks to a speed rush and a natural bend that Morgan said is as good as any he’s seen this year.
“Having that ability just helps me to win fast. I’m not a guy that sits there and does too much with the offensive tackles,” Umanmielen said. “If I can beat you now, I’m gonna beat you now and not give the quarterback any time, with my bend and speed.”
Umanmielen put up some prodigious numbers at Florida (three seasons) and Ole Miss (one), while Scourton’s best year was his final season at Purdue. But Canales said both benefited from playing in the SEC, especially their matchups last season with LSU offensive tackle Will Campbell, drafted by New England with the No. 4 pick.
“All of them getting their shot against Will Campbell certainly matters,” Canales said. “You watched them battle against the best. And watching them to do it in different ways, too.”
The Panthers should try to find some more defensive help Saturday, with safety, cornerback and inside linebacker all logical targets. But Friday was about the edge, where Morgan’s moves up in the draft could prompt the team to move on from Clowney. Releasing Clowney would save the Panthers $7.8 million against the salary cap.
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But it would also create more opportunities for young players to grow as players and leaders. Umanmielen, whose grandfather was a Nigerian tribal chief, liked what he saw during his pre-draft visit to Carolina, which belied the Panthers’ 5-12 record in Canales’ first season.
“When I was there, their staff just seemed like they were really, really coordinated and just knew what was going on,” he said. “You would think it was like a Super Bowl-winning staff this past season.”
(Photo: Jared C. Tilton / Getty Images)
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