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Panthers stay aggressive with surprising trade up for Princely Umanmielen

The Panthers moved up again. They took an edge again.
Zach Roberts|
Nov 9, 2024; Oxford, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi Rebels defensive lineman Princely Umanmielen (1) reacts during the second half against the Georgia Bulldogs at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images
Nov 9, 2024; Oxford, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi Rebels defensive lineman Princely Umanmielen (1) reacts during the second half against the Georgia Bulldogs at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

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Carolina Panthers

For the second time in a matter of hours, the Carolina Panthers traded up. This time, it was in the third round and they selected Ole Miss' Princely Umanmielen, another edge rusher. The Panthers sent picks 85 and 146, a fifth-round selection, to the New England Patriots to move up to 77 so they could get yet another edge rusher.

Teams, including the Panthers, are quickly proving that you can never have too much edge depth, although it's hard to swallow passing on a safety like Kevin Winston Jr. or Xavier Watts. The Panthers don't have an NFL-level tandem on the back end, so adding an edge rusher to give them five edges is a little curious.

That said, Umanmielen is exceptionally athletic. The Panthers, in two moves that required a bit of shuffling, have given themselves a potentially dominant pass-rushing duo for the future. Jadeveon Clowney and DJ Wonnum are free agents after this year (and might be trade bait now), and Pat Jones has two years on his contract.

Beyond that, it was nothing, so Nic Scourton and Umanmielen can be the future the Panthers needed and clearly envisioned. They could not rush the passer very well at all last year, so now they have ample bodies and a ton of athleticism for Ejiro Evero to throw at the quarterback.

After passing on an edge like Jalon Walker, the Panthers have massively course-corrected, perhaps at their own expense at other positions. They now have two stud edge rushers to play with for years to come.

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Zach Roberts
ZACH ROBERTS

Zachary Roberts is a journalist with a wide variety of experience covering basketball, golf, entertainment, video games, music, football, baseball, and hockey. He currently covers Charlotte sports teams and has been featured on Sportskeeda, Yardbarker, MSN, and On SI.

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