Halfway Through the Madness: Rounds 2 & 3

With round two and three now complete, the Panthers continue to surprise their fanbase by doubling down on defensive edge rushers—selecting Nic Scourton from Texas A&M and Princely Umanmielen from Ole Miss, both in the second round. So far, Carolina appears to be having an absolutely phenomenal draft. Everyone expected Dan to rebuild the defense back to its glory days, but no one was quite sure how he’d do it. Even head coach Dave Canales admitted he was stunned they managed to land TMac, Scourton, and Princely with their first three picks, saying, “I didn’t get that not once in any of my mocks.”

Nic Courton

With the 51st overall pick in the draft, Carolina made a move up the board, striking a deal with the Denver Broncos to select Nic Scourton. Notably, Scourton wrapped up his college season at 285 pounds but has since trimmed down to 257 during the offseason, all while standing an imposing 6'4". He’s said he feels stronger, faster, and more explosive, believing this new version of himself is better suited for the demands of the NFL. At the combine, his overall performance earned him a ranking of 10th among all defensive ends and edge rushers.

Nic Scourton - Texas A&M

Princely Umanmielen

With the 77th pick, the Panthers added another edge rusher out of Ole Miss, selecting Princely Umanmielen—who greeted GM Dan Morgan with a playful, “What took y’all so long, man?”

Standing at 6’4” and weighing 255 pounds, Princely has earned praise for his football IQ and instincts on the field. During last night’s press conference, Morgan explained that the team targeted pass rushers who consistently disrupt the quarterback, something last year’s defense struggled with. We gave opposing QBs way too much time to throw. Umanmielen, who finished 14th among DE/Edge prospects at the 2025 Combine, looks to be part of the solution.

Princely Umanmielen - Ole Miss

After those two picks last night, the whispers are growing louder, what’s next for Wonnum and Clowney? Could their time in Carolina be nearing its end? I certainly hope that’s not the case. Too often, we rush to bring in the new and push out the old, forgetting that rookies can benefit immensely from learning under seasoned veterans who’ve been in the league for years. We’re so quick to look for 'saviors' players who may not yet be ready for every-down football, only to find ourselves re-drafting that same position the very next year. Just look at the connection between Thielen and Coker; that veteran-mentorship dynamic has clearly paid off.