Edge Rushing Sensation Coming to Carolina: Panthers Set to Draft Dominant Force Off the Edge
Among the many things the Carolina Panthers need to upgrade this offseason is their edge rush unit. At the moment they have a respectable starting combo in Jadeveon Clowney and DJ Wonnum. However, neither one of them will be under contract after the 2025 NFL season and the rest of the depth chart beneath them is lacking.
For the season A’Shawn Robinson wound up tying Clowney for a team-high 5.5 sacks, which is obviously a pretty low ceiling for what NFL teams are looking for in the modern game out of a top pass rusher. It’s going to take more than one addition to turn this unit around, but using their first-round pick on the best edge rusher available would be a good way to start.
With that in mind, a new mock draft from Jacob Infante at Pro Football Network has the Panthers doing just that. He has them taking Georige Bulldogs edge Mykel Williams at eighth overall.
PFN on Panthers-Mykel Williams
“If you’re looking for a prototypical-looking edge rusher in the 2025 NFL Draft, Williams is your guy. He carries elite length, size, and power that carries his listed 265 pounds very well. He’s quick off the ball with heavy hands, and with some further development as a technician, he could have double-digit-sack potential in the pros.”
Williams (6-foot-5, 265 pounds) has been productive at the college level, totaling 14 sacks and 23 tackles for a loss in 40 games with the Bulldogs.
In an ideal world, the Panthers wouldn’t have to settle for Williams and they could draft Abdul Carter out of Penn State, who’s ranked as the best edge defender in the 2025 draft class. However, Carolina’s finishing out of the top five overall picks and Carter’s awesome performance in the College Football Playoff make that an increasingly unlikely scenario. Williams would be a very-solid consolation prize, though.
