The Panthers spent real money trying to change the look of their pass rush, and the first outside opinion on Jaelan Phillips says Carolina still has work to do.
Bleacher Report ranked Phillips 17th among NFL edge rushers going into the 2026 season, slotting him in its “critical roster piece” category. That’s a respectable place to land, but the writeup made clear why the Panthers had to pay up: Phillips can flash as a speed rusher, yet the production has not matched the tools.
Phillips has done his best work winning around the edge with speed, using a cross-chop move or a ghost rush. He also has the quickness to win across the offensive lineman's face...
However, the 2021 first-round pick has never posted a double-digit sack season, because he struggles to finish, missing several tackles against quarterbacks. Against the run, Phillips has enough strength to beat tight ends at the point of attack and set the edge...
But the Miami product lacks the strength to consistently defeat and get off blocks from offensive linemen. His tackling issues show up on early downs, too.
Carolina gave Phillips a four-year, $120 million deal in free agency, and that kind of contract comes with pressure. His career high is still the 8.5 sacks he posted as a rookie in 2021, and the Panthers may need him not just to reach that number again, but to clear it by a wide margin for the move to really pay off.
The challenge got tougher when Nic Scourton went down for the season with an ACL tear. Scourton was the only other Panthers edge rusher to crack Bleacher Report’s rankings, coming in at No. 69 in the “functional performer” tier.
... Last season, Scourton stood out with his ability to turn speed to power as a pass-rusher.
After he recovers, he needs to add a changeup to keep offensive tackles on their toes, but assuming he bounces back, he'll have a solid foundation to build off. The second-round pick also made a handful of quality plays against the run as a rookie, sniffing out crack blocks from wide receivers and beating blocks from tight ends to make stops.
He just needs to be more consistent and better against offensive linemen.
With Scourton sidelined, Carolina is banking on second-year outside linebacker Princely Umanmielen, taken a round after Scourton, to help absorb some of the load off the edge.
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