The Carolina Panthers swerved the NFL back in the spring, when they didn’t use their first-round pick on a defender. That selection, instead, was spent on standout wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan.
But for those perplexed by the organization’s decision on Day No. 1 of the draft, especially following a historically-bad defensive campaign, their concerns may have been calmed on Day No. 2.
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That Friday night saw the Panthers double-dip off the edge, taking Texas A&M’s Nic Scourton in the second round and Ole Miss‘ Princely Umanmielen in the third. And a few months later, fans seem to be even more encouraged by those choices—with the latter of the two already shining in the early goings training camp.
Let’s dive into the film to see what roles these two talented pass rushers can assume in the rebuilt Carolina defense.
Scourton, an all-around force
Here’s a take: If Scourton had spent another season at Purdue or transferred to a team that would’ve set him loose as a pass rusher, he would’ve been a top-15 selection. The flashes were there with the Boilermakers, but the Aggies asked him to do a lot more at a higher weight—limiting his opportunities in 2024.
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Scourton is a pass rusher who plays with quality size, athletic ability and quickness at 6-foot-2 and 257 pounds. One of the key aspects of his game is a diverse array of pass-rush counters—where he utilizes his active hands. There is impressive speed-to-power that allows him to overwhelm opposing blockers in their sets, forcing them to drop their anchor quicker than anticipated.
Football intelligence and rush discipline are what make Scourton such a versatile player in the trenches. He can play with his hand in the dirt, as a stand-up rusher or reduce inside to form a variety of NASCAR packages that defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero will surely deploy this season.
Scourton also has great vision for action in the backfield, and his quality football acumen allows him to be an effective run defender. He utilizes physicality and heavy hands at the point of attack to set the edge and anchor, enabling gap discipline from the C and D sections.
Scourton could still refine his skill set in a few areas.
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He can sometimes come out of his stand-up stance too high, compromising his chest position and his ability to anchor. He also doesn’t display elite hip flexibility and isn’t someone that will win consistently with bend and body control around the arc and under the shoulder of an opposing blocker.
But now that he is back at a fair playing weight of 257 pounds, Scourton can be the defender many saw him to be at Purdue. He can play as a quarterback spy if asked, along with a variety of roles as a rusher.
There will be many opportunities for him to be set loose after the passer, which gives the Panthers another boost in a department that has been without real firepower for a couple of years.
Umanmielen, the Panthers’ most explosive pass rusher
Since the departure of star pass rusher Brian Burns, Carolina has lacked the overwhelming explosiveness and flexibility at the position. It was evident last year, when the defense ranked last in the league in pressure rate (16.2 percent).
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At 6-foot-3 and 244 pounds with nearly 34-inch arms, Umanmielen has impressive length to go with his game. He was one of the most explosive pass rushers in the entire draft outside of first-rounders Abdul Carter and Jalon Walker, consistently winning pass-rush repetitions with acceleration and get-off.
His ability to bend and dip under the inside shoulder while offering quality body control stands out.
The former Florida Gator and Ole Miss Rebel isn’t just a speed rusher either. He can win with an array of rush moves and counters—such as an inside swim, cross-chip, rip/dip and a Euro-step that will cause balance issues for opposing blockers.
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There is also willingness in the run game, where Umanmielen would use his explosion and speed to bull-rush pullers or zone blockers and crash them into the backfield to disrupt the track of the running back.
You’re not going to get a powerful edge rusher off the bat. Umanmielen will require growth for a couple of years in this area. He will need to do better with keeping his pads low and creating leverage opportunities as a pass rusher, which will rid the exposed chest plates from time to time.
Umanmielen has a chance to be a starter in his first season, even with room to improve as a run defender. At the least, he’ll be a quality pass-rush specialist early on in his career.
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This article originally appeared on Panthers Wire: Panthers rookie preview: Scourton, Umanmielen the future off the edge