Heading into their first game of the 2026 campaign, the Carolina Panthers are looking awfully thin along the edge. They lost starter Nic Scourton to a season-ending knee injury on the first day of training camp and will also be without his replacement, Pat Jones II, for Sunday's contest against the Chicago Bears.
That means the Panthers are missing their top two options to play opposite newcomer Jaelan Phillips, who shoulders a great deal of responsibility in the first season of a four-year, $120 million deal. So, Carolina has little choice but to hope that some of their deeper options in the pass-rushing room show up.
On that score, defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero—who spoke with reporters on Thursday morning, has been impressed by what he has seen
from second-year outside linebacker Princely Umanmielen.
"I want to start off by saying I really admire the young man, just the person he is," Evero stated. "He's a good guy, he's loved by his teammates, he's striving to do things the right way. He's got a lot of ability that we're looking to tap into. And so this process of going through it with the development of him has been a lot of fun for myself and for [outside linebackers] Coach [AC] Carter.
"But specific to your question—yes, I think that should really be the goal and aim of every player. How can we get better at our process? How can we develop not only on the field, but our routine, and our schedules, and our lifestyles? And make all of that in alignment with what we want to do on game day?
"So he's really bought into it. And like you said, all of the little things, like, 'How do I sleep better so I'm rejuvenated and refreshed?
"I'm really proud of him. He's worked his butt off. And I'm excited to see what he's going to do."
Umanmielen didn't see a ton of playing time as a rookie, only being on the field for 222 defensive snaps (22 percent) for the year. In that time, he managed to post 1.5 sacks, four quarterback hits and 24 tackles—including two for a loss.
The 24-year-old has flashed much greater potential in each of the last two preseasons, though. If he can hit the ground running and begin to take that critical Year 2 leap, it would help absorb the loss of Scourton a great deal for a Panthers defense that can't afford to lose anybody else up front.
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This article originally appeared on Panthers Wire: Panthers looking for young defender to step up in Week 1 vs. Bears
