CHARLOTTE — "Pass rushing is an art," mused Jaelan Phillips. "So ultimately, it's very nuanced. It's not just like, oh, run full speed ahead and don't get blocked. It's setting things up. It's a chess game. It's a game within a game."
Phillips, a former first-rounder, was the top pass-rusher in free agency this past offseason, signing with the Carolina Panthers and instantly elevating the group. But he wasn't referencing his own game here. He was explaining why Princely Umanmielen is one of, if not the most, naturally gifted pass-rusher on the roster.
"I think he has a very good natural feel for pass rushing, and I think his ceiling is extremely high," continued Phillips of the second-round outside linebacker.
"He's probably the best pass rusher on our team. I think that he is extremely naturally gifted, and I think that as he continues to develop, he can be a very special player. I think that he already has crazy attributes, and you know he's definitely learning. He's young, so I'm excited to watch him grow. He's athletic. He has crazy bend, really good feel."
It's high praise from someone who knows the game and the position. So much so that after Umanmielen heard Phillips' words last week, he went and found the veteran.
"I had walked up to him, and I told him I appreciate him for showing love," shared Umanmielen Monday after training camp practice. "It just means a lot coming from a guy like that, a first-round guy that's made a name for himself in the NFL."
Umanmielen, drafted in the third round by the Panthers last year, played in 16 games as a rookie, starting three. He appeared on defense for 222 snaps (22 percent) and finished with 24 tackles, two for loss, four quarterback hits. 1.5 sacks, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery.
Heading into this offseason, coach Dave Canales and staff challenged Umanmielen to marry his natural talent with consistency. As Phillips pointed out, the innate grasp of the art of pass rushing is a big part of the equation. But the Panthers need Umanmielen to be available on every down, including the rushing downs, especially now that Nic Scourton is sidelined for the foreseeable future with an ACL tear.
"Just take the next step," summoned Canales. "We know he's got pass rush. Can he be consistent in execution across the board with different play styles, with different play types, whether it's play action, run game, the different types of runs and how the outside linebacker has to play those runs?
"He's got to have all those things in his tool belt to be able to know how to take on different blocks, the sift blocks from tight ends, the bluff blocks, taking on tackles, gap schemes, all those things. It's all just gathering that information so that he can be the complete player we believe he can be, that can rush the passer, but that can also give you valuable downs on first and second down."
That consistency and ability was Umanmielen's focus coming into camp. And he's already seeing it pay off.
"I was just telling my little brother not too long ago, I'm like, bro, there's no question if I was doing everything I'm doing now, I would have gone first round," predicted Umanmielen.
Granted, the consensus four-star recruit still went on Day 2 of the 2025 NFL draft (third round, No. 77 overall) after solid careers at Florida and Ole Miss. But the question around Umanmielen throughout college was always: can he play to his ceiling and ability every game? Because when he does, he seems unstoppable.
It's a question Umanmielen is ready to answer, definitively, yes. And he's making sure his brother, an outside linebacker at LSU, doesn't create the same narrative.
"So I'm trying to tell him this so he doesn't make the mistakes I made. Because I was very talented and I look back and I'm just like damn, I wasn't doing — like I was telling him, I couldn't imagine what I would have been — and I was still very successful in college, but how much more successful I could have been if I was living my life the way I am now."
It's the "living life" that has made the biggest difference for Umanmielen. He's always known what he can do on a football field. But the preparation needed to match the talent. So, he attacked his entire schedule and mindset.
"I feel like I just tried to hone in on everything in my life as a whole," shared Umanmielen. "I improved my sleep quality, how long I go to sleep, I improved my nutrition, start taking vitamins. I started reading more. I just try to execute discipline in all areas of my life.
"I would say actually giving my life to Christ…and it was actually before I got baptized that I fully started committing myself and actually started to see changes in my life, and it wasn't like a choice, if that makes sense, like it just happened."
And more important than anything, he deleted Twitter.
Umanmielen had become a fan favorite on the social media app over the past year, but at times to a detriment. He would scroll, see things, feel compelled to respond, which would lead to more interactions, more responses; it was a never-ending cycle. His uncle, who is also a mentor, challenged him to delete the app until he made a Pro Bowl.
Umanmielen admitted it took him a week after that conversation to work up the nerve. Still, ever since he has, there's been a noticeable difference…even if he hasn't been able to go completely cold turkey on all social media.
"Twitter was step one, and then I was going to try to get off everything eventually. Instagram is the hardest," he laughed. "They done made some type of algorithm that made it super addicting, but I'm trying to at least take a few months' break from at least all social media. So step one was Twitter.
"(Fans) can come mess with me on Instagram."
But he's going to do his best to stay off social media more this season. And he'll sleep right, eat right, do anything and everything he needs to do so he can step on that field with complete confidence in his game. Princely Umanmielen has always had the talent. Now he has the motivation.
"I just started doing everything in my life a different way," he shrugged. "And it's been paying off for me."
View some of Monday's best snaps from Panthers training camp practice.
Tyrek Funderburk is seen during during Carolina Panthers Training camp on Wednesday, Jun. 17, 2026 at the Atrium Health Training Facility in Charlotte, NC.
Bryce Young is seen during during Carolina Panthers Training camp on Wednesday, Jun. 17, 2026 at the Atrium Health Training Facility in Charlotte, NC.
Lee Hunter is seen during during Carolina Panthers Training camp on Wednesday, Jun. 17, 2026 at the Atrium Health Training Facility in Charlotte, NC.
DeCarlos Nicholson is seen during during Carolina Panthers Training camp on Wednesday, Jun. 17, 2026 at the Atrium Health Training Facility in Charlotte, NC.
Cam Jackson is seen during during Carolina Panthers Training camp on Wednesday, Jun. 17, 2026 at the Atrium Health Training Facility in Charlotte, NC.
Maz Mwansa is seen during during Carolina Panthers Training camp on Wednesday, Jun. 17, 2026 at the Atrium Health Training Facility in Charlotte, NC.
Trevor Etienne is seen during during Carolina Panthers Training camp on Wednesday, Jun. 17, 2026 at the Atrium Health Training Facility in Charlotte, NC.
Tetairoa McMillan is seen during during Carolina Panthers Training camp on Wednesday, Jun. 17, 2026 at the Atrium Health Training Facility in Charlotte, NC.
Cam Miller is seen during during Carolina Panthers Training camp on Wednesday, Jun. 17, 2026 at the Atrium Health Training Facility in Charlotte, NC.
Sam Hecht and Isaia Glass are seen during during Carolina Panthers Training camp on Wednesday, Jun. 17, 2026 at the Atrium Health Training Facility in Charlotte, NC.
Tetairoa McMillan is seen during during Carolina Panthers Training camp on Wednesday, Jun. 17, 2026 at the Atrium Health Training Facility in Charlotte, NC.
RB Jonathon Brooks and Cam Jackson are seen during during Carolina Panthers Training camp on Wednesday, Jun. 17, 2026 at the Atrium Health Training Facility in Charlotte, NC.
QB Bryce Young and Kenny Pickett are seen during during Carolina Panthers Training camp on Wednesday, Jun. 17, 2026 at the Atrium Health Training Facility in Charlotte, NC.
AC Carter and OLB Jaelan Phillips are seen during during Carolina Panthers Training camp on Wednesday, Jun. 17, 2026 at the Atrium Health Training Facility in Charlotte, NC.
AC Carter and OLB Patrick Jones II are seen during during Carolina Panthers Training camp on Wednesday, Jun. 17, 2026 at the Atrium Health Training Facility in Charlotte, NC.
AC Carter and OLB Patrick Jones II are seen during during Carolina Panthers Training camp on Wednesday, Jun. 17, 2026 at the Atrium Health Training Facility in Charlotte, NC.
Trevis Gipson is seen during during Carolina Panthers Training camp on Wednesday, Jun. 17, 2026 at the Atrium Health Training Facility in Charlotte, NC.
OLB Princely Umanmielen is seen during during Carolina Panthers Training camp on Wednesday, Jun. 17, 2026 at the Atrium Health Training Facility in Charlotte, NC.
OLB Patrick Jones II is seen during during Carolina Panthers Training camp on Wednesday, Jun. 17, 2026 at the Atrium Health Training Facility in Charlotte, NC.
OLB Princely Umanmielen and DeCarlos Nicholson are seen during during Carolina Panthers Training camp on Wednesday, Jun. 17, 2026 at the Atrium Health Training Facility in Charlotte, NC.
Sam Martin, JJ Jansen and K Ryan Fitzgerald are seen during during Carolina Panthers Training camp on Wednesday, Jun. 17, 2026 at the Atrium Health Training Facility in Charlotte, NC.
Ja'seem Reed is seen during during Carolina Panthers Training camp on Wednesday, Jun. 17, 2026 at the Atrium Health Training Facility in Charlotte, NC.
DE Jared Harrison-Hunte, Stone Forsythe and Kenny Pickett are seen during during Carolina Panthers Training camp on Wednesday, Jun. 17, 2026 at the Atrium Health Training Facility in Charlotte, NC.
Isaiah Smith is seen during during Carolina Panthers Training camp on Wednesday, Jun. 17, 2026 at the Atrium Health Training Facility in Charlotte, NC.
LB Maema Njongmeta is seen during during Carolina Panthers Training camp on Wednesday, Jun. 17, 2026 at the Atrium Health Training Facility in Charlotte, NC.
Zakee Wheatley and TE Ja'Tavion Sanders are seen during during Carolina Panthers Training camp on Wednesday, Jun. 17, 2026 at the Atrium Health Training Facility in Charlotte, NC.
OLB Patrick Jones II is seen during during Carolina Panthers Training camp on Wednesday, Jun. 17, 2026 at the Atrium Health Training Facility in Charlotte, NC.
OLB Patrick Jones II is seen during during Carolina Panthers Training camp on Wednesday, Jun. 17, 2026 at the Atrium Health Training Facility in Charlotte, NC.
TE Ja'Tavion Sanders is seen during during Carolina Panthers Training camp on Wednesday, Jun. 17, 2026 at the Atrium Health Training Facility in Charlotte, NC.
Feleipe Franks is seen during during Carolina Panthers Training camp on Wednesday, Jun. 17, 2026 at the Atrium Health Training Facility in Charlotte, NC.
Feleipe Franks is seen during during Carolina Panthers Training camp on Wednesday, Jun. 17, 2026 at the Atrium Health Training Facility in Charlotte, NC.
CB Will Lee III and WR Brycen Tremayne are seen during during Carolina Panthers Training camp on Wednesday, Jun. 17, 2026 at the Atrium Health Training Facility in Charlotte, NC.
Dan Morgan is seen during during Carolina Panthers Training camp on Wednesday, Jun. 17, 2026 at the Atrium Health Training Facility in Charlotte, NC.
Tre'von Moehrig is seen during during Carolina Panthers Training camp on Wednesday, Jun. 17, 2026 at the Atrium Health Training Facility in Charlotte, NC.
Jaycee Horn, JD Rast, Tetairoa McMillan and Bryce Young are seen during during Carolina Panthers Training camp on Wednesday, Jun. 17, 2026 at the Atrium Health Training Facility in Charlotte, NC.
John Metchie III is seen during during Carolina Panthers Training camp on Wednesday, Jun. 17, 2026 at the Atrium Health Training Facility in Charlotte, NC.
Ja'seem Reed is seen during during Carolina Panthers Training camp on Wednesday, Jun. 17, 2026 at the Atrium Health Training Facility in Charlotte, NC.
Casey Washington is seen during during Carolina Panthers Training camp on Wednesday, Jun. 17, 2026 at the Atrium Health Training Facility in Charlotte, NC.
Brycen Tremayne is seen during during Carolina Panthers Training camp on Wednesday, Jun. 17, 2026 at the Atrium Health Training Facility in Charlotte, NC.
Rendrick Taylor is seen during during Carolina Panthers Training camp on Wednesday, Jun. 17, 2026 at the Atrium Health Training Facility in Charlotte, NC.
David Moore and QB Bryce Young are seen during during Carolina Panthers Training camp on Wednesday, Jun. 17, 2026 at the Atrium Health Training Facility in Charlotte, NC.
OLB Thomas Incoom is seen during during Carolina Panthers Training camp on Wednesday, Jun. 17, 2026 at the Atrium Health Training Facility in Charlotte, NC.
Lathan Ransom is seen during during Carolina Panthers Training camp on Wednesday, Jun. 17, 2026 at the Atrium Health Training Facility in Charlotte, NC.
Maema Njongmeta is seen during during Carolina Panthers Training camp on Wednesday, Jun. 17, 2026 at the Atrium Health Training Facility in Charlotte, NC.
Jimmy Horn Jr., Jalen Coker, Casey Washington and WR Tetairoa McMillan are seen during during Carolina Panthers Training camp on Wednesday, Jun. 17, 2026 at the Atrium Health Training Facility in Charlotte, NC.
WR Tetairoa McMillan is seen during during Carolina Panthers Training camp on Wednesday, Jun. 17, 2026 at the Atrium Health Training Facility in Charlotte, NC.
QB Bryce Young is seen during during Carolina Panthers Training camp on Wednesday, Jun. 17, 2026 at the Atrium Health Training Facility in Charlotte, NC.
Bryce Young is seen during during Carolina Panthers Training camp on Wednesday, Jun. 17, 2026 at the Atrium Health Training Facility in Charlotte, NC.
