2025 NFL draft: Panthers trade up again, pick Princely Umanmielen at No. 77

Carolina has made another move on day two of the draft.

Sep 28, 2024; Oxford, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi Rebels defensive linemen Princely Umanmielen (1) lines up before the snap during the second half against the Kentucky Wildcats at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

Once again, the Carolina Panthers have made a trade up the board to add to their defense. GM Dan Morgan sent the 85th and 146th overall picks in exchange for No. 77, where they selected Ole Miss pass rusher Princely Umanmielen (6'4", 256).

The former four-star recruit began his career at Florida, picking the Gators over offers from the likes of Auburn, Baylor, LSU, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Ole Miss, Oregon, TCU, Texas, USC, and several others.

In four seasons at Florida, Umanmielen registered 99 tackles, 26 tackles for loss, and 15 sacks. In his lone season at Ole Miss in 2024, he notched career highs in tackles for loss (14) and sacks (10.5) to go along with 37 tackles.

The Panthers clearly wanted to address their pass rush this offseason, especially with Jadeveon Clowney and D.J. Wonnum entering the final year of their respective contracts. In free agency, they added Tershawn Wharton and Pat Jones II, and have double dipped here on day two with the selections of Nic Scourton and Umanmielen.

NFL.com's Lance Zierlein compared Umanmilen to Whitney Mercilus in his pre-draft scout write-up.

"Finesse edge defender with traits, athleticism and upside to have his sack production translate to the NFL. Umanmielen is a serious ground-gainer with burst, stride and bend to create shallow edges leading directly into the quarterback’s drop space. He’s not instinctive and takes predictable pathways to the pocket, but he’s simply hard to keep out of the pocket due to his attributes. He lacks play strength and aggression as a run defender. He will have trouble setting edges and might not be an early down option early in his career. Umanmielen is an ascending stand-up edge rusher who might be just scratching the surface of his already threatening rush talent."

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