CHARLOTTE, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — The Panthers addressed a glaring need Friday, selected two edge rushers out of the SEC in the second day of the NFL Draft.
First, Carolina moved up to select Nic Scourton, an edge rusher out of Texas A&M, with the 51st pick. At 6-foot-4 and only 20 years old he accumulated 17 sacks across three years between the Aggies last fall and two years at Purdue.
The Panthers received the pick in a trade with the Broncos, moving up from 57 overall. They’re also giving up their third (74), fourth (111) and seventh-round picks (230).
Scourton ranked third in the SEC with 14.0 tackles for loss and led A&M with 5.0 sacks. As a sophomore at Purdue, he led the Big Ten with 10 sacks, good for eighth in the country.
Last season, the Panthers were last in the NFL in passing touchdowns given up at 35, and second-to-last with only 31 sacks.
In Round 3, the Panthers doubled down on the position. With the 77th overall pick, they took Princely Umanmielen, a 6-foot-4 edge out of Ole Miss.
In his lone season in Oxford, the 23-year-old was named second-team All-SEC by the AP and first-team by the league’s coaches. Umanmielen contributed to team school records in sacks (52) and tackles for loss (120), which both led the nation.
The native of Nigeria finished tied for team lead in sacks with 10.5, a figure that tied for the second-most in Ole Miss single-season history.
In three years with the Gators, Umanmielen notched 99 total tackles, 24.5 tackles for loss and 15.0 sacks.
‘At least try for one’
The pair of defensive lineman were selected after the Panthers surprised many by taking receiver Tetairoa McMillan with their first pick Thursday.
With the two Day 2 picks, fans wanted to see decisions made for the other side of the ball.
“I’d love at least one, right? You got at least try for one, you know, I’m hoping for the best,” said Phillip Mericle.
Other fans are hoping the team secures a top-ranked defensive tackle or another edge player. After Friday night, the Panthers will have four picks left to help build the team.
“They were pretty good when I was in middle school,” said 26-year-fan Kathryn Hintze “We made the championship, then the Super Bowl, and then we kind of fell off a bit there. So hopefully we can do better this year.”
She’s hoping for improvement on both sides of the ball.
“Either defense or someone to protect Bryce a little bit so. I mean I think anybody can help the team at this point,” Hintze said.
Ryan Carlson says, regardless of the selections this week, he’ll be at Bank of America Stadium cheering on his team.
“I just like going to the games,” Carlson said. “I don’t really care so much about the team’s performance. I don’t pay. Yeah, exactly. I’m there for the atmosphere when I grab a couple of beers, eat some hot dogs, and watch a game. I’m having a good time either way.”
Overall, fans are just excited for next season. Regardless of who is chosen Friday or Saturday night, they hope they’ll contribute to a successful season.