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2025 NFL draft: Panthers met 'at length' with breakout EDGE prospect

Carolina reportedly spent some time meeting with Syracuse defensive end Fadil Diggs at his pro day.
Tim Weaver|
Feb 27, 2025; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Syracuse defensive lineman Fadil Diggs (DL45) participates in drills during the 2025 NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium.
Feb 27, 2025; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Syracuse defensive lineman Fadil Diggs (DL45) participates in drills during the 2025 NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

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Carolina Panthers

We have other ideas abut how to use the pick. For now though, everyone who's plugged-in for the Carolina Panthers seems to be expecting they'll take the highest EDGE prospect on the board when they are on the clock in Round 1 of the 2025 NFL draft.

With the class' number one edge prospect - Penn State's Abdul Carter - expected to be gone in the first five picks, the Panthers will have to settle for targeting second-tier options at this position. On that front, Georgia's Jalon Walker and his teammate Mykel Williams in particular have emerged as the most-popular prospects connected to Carolina and that eighth overall pick.

That's one way to go, but our angle would be waiting until Day 2 or maybe even Day 3 to target this spot, given the high number of quality edge defenders the power five are turning out these days. One under-the-radar prospect to watch is Fadil Diggs from Syracuse. Apparently the Panthers spent a long time speaking with him at his pro day.

Diggs (6-foot-5, 257 pounds) began his college career at Texas A&M, where he saw no real playing time until his third year. He eventually transferred to Syracuse for his senior season, and that's when he really broke out. Diggs wound up posting a career-high 7.5 sacks and 14 tackles for a loss in 2024. Here are the highlights.

Fadil Diggs 2024 Syracuse highlights

The scouting report on Diggs mentions his football IQ and play speed as positives, with a lack of length and a poor anchor as negatives. The current projection for Diggs is that he won't be drafted until Day 3, perhaps as late as the seventh round.

If the Panthers do draft Diggs, he would likely project as the fifth option in the team's edge rush rotation beneath Jadeveon Clowney, DJ Wonnum, free-agent pickup Patrick Jones II and DJ Johnson.

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Tim Weaver
TIM WEAVER

Tim Weaver has been writing about the NFL since the 2013 season for multiple teams and outlets, including USA Today and The Sporting News. He currently covers the Seattle Seahawks and Carolina Panthers for On SI.