The Panthers had pre-draft talks with other teams about trading edge rusher Jadeveon Clowney, David Newton of ESPN reports.
It is unclear where those talks stand now that the draft is into the third day, but it does cast uncertainty about Clowney’s future in Carolina. The Panthers have added edge rushers Nic Scourton and Princely Umanmielen since the draft started.
General Manager Dan Morgan twice was asked about whether Clowney is part of the team’s plans for 2025, and he was noncommittal.
“We’re still working through the roster,” Morgan said, via Newton. “We’re still talking through things. Obviously, we’re focused on the draft right now and what’s in front of us.”
Clowney, 32, is in the final year of a two-year, $20 million deal he signed with Carolina a year ago. He is set to count $13.775 million against the salary cap after having 5.5 sacks last season.
The No. 1 overall pick in 2014 has never had more than 9.5 sacks in a season and has only 58 in his 11-year career.
The Cowboys didn’t have a fourth-round pick in 2024 after trading for Trey Lance, and they missed out on adding a running back in the round. They don’t have a fourth-round pick today, having traded it to the Panthers for Jonathan Mingo.
The Panthers used the choice on a running back, selecting Georgia’s Trevor Etienne.
The 114th overall pick is the brother of Jaguars running back Travis Etienne, a first-round pick in 2021.
Trevor Etienne joins a running backs room that includes starter Chuba Hubbard and ex-Cowboy Rico Dowdle, who signed in free agency. Jonathon Brooks is expected to miss the season after tearing his ACL again.
Etienne played two seasons at Florida before transferring to Georgia, where he rushed for 609 yards and nine touchdowns on 122 carries in 10 games. He also caught 32 passes for 194 yards.
Etienne had only 371 carries in college.
For the second time during Day 2 of this year’s draft, the Panthers have traded up to select an edge rusher.
Carolina has been wheeling and dealing, this time sending No. 85 and No. 126 to New England in exchange for No. 77.
With that pick, the Panthers have selected Princely Umanmielen out of Ole Miss.
Umanmielen, 23, played his first four collegiate seasons at Florida before transferring to Ole Miss for 2024. After recording 7.0 sacks for Florida in 2023, he led Old Miss with 10.5 sacks in 2024. He missed a pair of games with an ankle injury.
In all, Umanmielen recorded 25.5 sacks in his 56 college games.
He’ll stay in the South as he heads to Charlotte.
The Panthers have traded up with the Broncos to take a defensive player.
With the No. 51 overall pick in the second round, Carolina has selected edge rusher Nic Scourton out of Texas A&M.
Scourton, 20, spent his first two collegiate seasons at Purdue before transferring in 2024. He was a second-team All-Big Ten selection in 2023 when he led the conference with 10 sacks.
In 2024, he tallied five sacks and 14 tackles for loss, earning first-team All-SEC honors for the Aggies.
The Panthers sent No. 57, No. 74, No. 111, and No. 230 to the Broncos in exchange for No. 51, No. 85, No. 122, and No. 208 in this year’s draft.
The final pick traded to the Bears as part of the Bryce Young trade has been used.
The Bears selected wide receiver Luther Burden III with the 39th overall pick on Friday night. He joins tight end Colston Loveland as rookie additions to the offense ahead of Ben Johnson’s first year as their head coach.
Carolina traded wide receiver DJ Moore, their 2023 and 2024 first-round picks, and their 2023 and 2025 second-round picks to the Bears in order to move up to the first overall pick in 2023. The 2024 first-rounder turned out to be the first overall pick, which the Bears used to take quarterback Caleb Williams. They also added tackle Darnell Wright and cornerback Tyrique Stevenson with picks they received in that deal.
Burden had 61 catches for 676 yards and six touchdowns last season. He joins Moore and 2024 first-rounder Rome Odunze in the Bears receiving corps.
