The Panthers traded up with the Patriots to acquire the 77th overall pick in the 2025 NFL draft and selected Ole Miss edge rusher Princely Umanmielen.

Carolina will send their third-rounder (No. 85 overall) and fifth-rounder (No. 146 overall) to New England, per NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo.

Umanmielen has a solid, NFL-ready frame but relies too much on speed and finesse to beat blocks with lackluster power and physicality. He started for two seasons at Florida before transferring to Ole Miss and recording 10.5 sacks in 2024, the second-most of any SEC defender. The 23-year-old will have to improve his ability to set the edge in the NFL, but his speed and bend off the edge will make him an effective pass-rusher. He also showed the ability to drop into coverage in college; while that’s not his strength, it does add some versatility to his game.

The Panthers were expected to take an EDGE with the No. 8 pick, but opted to add Arizona WR Tetairoa McMillan instead. They then used their next two picks on edge rushers, selecting Texas A&M’s Nic Scourton at No. 51 and double-dipping with Umanmielen at 77.

Carolina has veteran players who will likely top the depth chart in 2025 in Jadeveon Clowney, D.J. Wonnum, and Patrick Jones, but Scourton and Umanmielen should play a role in the pass rush as rookies.