With Patrick Jones II nursing a back injury and Nic Scourton out for the year with a torn ACL, the Carolina Panthers gave second-year edge rusher Princely Umanmielen the chance to showcase his credentials from a starting role in Week 1. And it exposed the same glaring flaw that blighted his rookie year.
Umanmielen can rush the passer. He marked his first career start against the Chicago Bears with another sack, and he flashed some decent explosiveness to get quarterback Caleb Williams off his spot.
Unfortunately, things didn't go nearly as well against the run.
Princely Umanmielen must improve against the run to secure larger Carolina Panthers role
This has always been a problem with the 2025 third-round pick. Umanmielen cannot set a clean edge, and his positional sense is also subpar. Considering the size, length, and athleticism he brings to the table, his lack of consistency is surprising and disappointing in equal measure.
That's also why Umanmielen played only 47 percent of the team's defensive snaps. When his failures against the run became exposed, Trevis Gipson (60% of snaps) began to see more of the field. For a player who wants to be known for more than a pass-rush specialist, it's a big problem.
The Ole Miss product is still young. Umanmielen only recently turned 24, so he still has a lot of learning and growing to do as a player. But until he becomes more dependable on running plays, he'll be a situational presence and nothing more.
Jones is currently week-to-week with the same back injury that ended his 2025 campaign early. The flare-up isn't ideal, but when he gets the all-clear, he should be able to provide much more stable run support opposite Jaelan Phillips.
That would relegate Umanmielen to a rotational role again, but it's probably where he's best suited at this stage of his NFL journey.
Could these responsibilities expand over time? Of course, but the only way he'll get to be a legitimate three-down force is by making a difference on running downs.
That is the primary objective from here on.
Very few (if any) on Carolina's defense emerged from the game with credit. They conceded 552 total yards, 291 rushing yards, and 59 points. It was a disgraceful start to the campaign, and it left far more questions than answers about how far this team can go in 2026.
It wasn't just Umanmielen; it was everybody. But for a player looking to affirm his status as a long-term piece of the puzzle, it's clear that a lot of hard work is ahead to justify Carolina's pre-draft faith.
Rushing the passer isn't a problem for Umanmielen. But that's just a small part of being a reliable edge threat in the pros.
If Umanmielen doesn't want to get pigeonholed, he must recognize that and respond accordingly.
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