The Carolina Panthers proved one thing if nothing else through the first three rounds of the 2025 NFL Draft.
They do not care what the rest of the NFL or the media thinks about prospects when it comes to alleged "character concerns" or minor off-field issues.
All three of their picks through the first three rounds of the draft were flagged throughout the NFL Draft process for various issues that in the grand scheme of things are obviously very insignificant things, but people love to embrace negative narratives.
Tetairoa McMillan "didn't like watching film" so there was no way he was going to go inside the Top 10 picks, let alone to the Panthers (sports books had his odds below 30% to go inside the first 10 picks). Nic Scourton had alleged "weight issues" from multiple scouts that A to Z Sports talked with on the all star game circuit and the NFL Combine. And finally, Princely Umanmielen (the Panthers third round pick) had vague "character concerns" that leaked around throughout the spring.
None of that apparently mattered too much to the Panthers general manager Dan Morgan. He was glad to take the ridiculous value and talents that fell to him in each round of the NFL Draft through Friday night, wrapping things up in round three with Princely Umanmielen (EDGE, Ole Miss) at pick 77 for the Panthers.
What were Princely Umanmielen's character issues since they were so vague? Some point back to Umanmielen's angry outburst with some fans following the heartbreaking Ole Miss loss to Florida last fall. Others point to his transfer from Florida to Ole Miss and some comments from bitter Florida coaches upset that he left (and Umanmielen's slight trolling upon leaving, implying he was much happier at Ole Miss).
Regardless of what the red flags were, it was reported by multiple plugged in draft analysts that some NFL teams actually viewed something about Princely Umanmielen's character problematic enough to drop off (or down) their boards.
Having spent extensive time talking with all three of the Panthers first three draft picks throughout the spring on multiple occasions I can confidently say that Tetairoa McMillan, Nic Scourton, and Princely Umanmielen do not have major character concerns worth keeping them off the Carolina roster–Princely especially.
Far too often NFL insiders and scouts seem to take a word they hear from a bitter source and just run with it as fact, leading to some very good players dropping on draft day. It seems that's what happened with Princely Umanmielen (and perhaps the other two Panthers picks), because he was long considered a Top 50 or 60 player in the class by league folks that A to Z Sports spoke to and the NFL media community at large.
Princely racked up 100 pass rush pressures over the last two seasons and 18 sacks for Ole Miss and Florida. He was considered a leader by his teammates that I spoke with all spring long and part of last fall. It's laughable that the NFL let the Panthers get him at pick 77.
Princely Umanmielen Scouting Report
Edge Defender, Ole Miss
Age (Birthday): 23 (04/18/2002)
A to Z Sports Expected Draft Position: 48
Pre-Draft Round Projection: 2
From a pure pass rush perspective, there aren't many more talented EDGE defenders in the 2025 NFL Draft class than Princely Umanmielen. His career at the University of Florida was plagued by inconsistent effort and always wanting more. Umanmielen seemingly put everything together in 2024 during his lone season with the Ole Miss Rebels, finishing that year with 37 total tackles, 14 tackles for loss, and 10.5 sacks.
His combination of quickness, bend, and explosiveness should allow Umanmielen to become a constant threat getting after the quarterback. If you can get the most consistent version of Umanmielen then you are getting a good starter long term. We might also be talking about his brother, Princewill, in the future after he transferred to the Rebels this offseason. - Ryan Roberts of A to Z Sports
Career Projection: Eventual Good Starter
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And if you want to see some highlights plays that made Princely Umanmielen the easy selection here to the Carolina Panthers just enjoy the video below!
