New Panthers assistant coach breaks down young rotation of pass rushers
The Panthers’ mission to improve their historically bad defense wasn’t limited to a plethora of offseason roster moves. The team also shook up its coaching staff, swapping a few familiar faces for some new ones.
Among the new arrivals in Carolina is outside linebackers coach AC Carter, who worked for defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero in Denver in 2022. Carter spent the past two seasons working with the Los Angeles Rams’ vaunted defensive front, and now he will be tasked with tutoring one of the younger OLB units in the entire NFL.
Carter, who turned 32 last month, is taking over a group that recently lost last year’s co-sack leader, three-time Pro Bowl pass rusher Jadeveon Clowney. The unit wasn’t particularly effective last season in general, but losing Clowney — who had 5.5 of the team’s 36 total sacks in 2024 — creates a noteworthy void in proven production.
While the Panthers retained veteran D.J. Wonnum for a second season, and brought in free-agent addition Patrick Jones to improve the defense with his versatility, Carter will also need to develop draft picks — Nic Scourton and Princely Umanmielen — in short order to improve a defense that was tied for 30th in sacks with the last-place Tennessee Titans last season.
The new assistant coach also needs to make sure the young quartet can set the edge effectively, especially after Carolina gave up the most rushing yards in a single season since 1980.
“I think Coach Ejiro has done a great job in helping evaluate the position, putting us in position to be able to make plays,” Carter told The Observer. “He’s done a great job with that, leading us in the right direction of doing those things.”
With the Panthers desperately needing improved play from their pass rushers, Carter — considered a rising star in NFL coaching circles — will have his work cut out for him.
The Panthers have invested in the unit from an upside perspective with the additions of Jones, Scourton and Umanmielen, and the top decision-makers are hoping that Carter — who was a defensive graduate assistant at the University of Kansas just four years ago — can reach the young players and bring out the best in them.
Young veterans serving as leaders
Last offseason, the Panthers made an economical upside move by adding Wonnum to the fold.
Wonnum, coming off a four-year stint with the Minnesota Vikings, was recovering from quad surgery, and the Panthers were able to get him on a short-term, prove-it deal. The South Carolina alum signed a two-year, $12.5 million contract, which gave the team wiggle room for the future.
Unfortunately for Wonnum and the Panthers, the pass rusher had rehabilitation setbacks — and a blood clot — that wiped out half of his 2024 season. Wonnum was able to return for the Panthers’ Week 10 win over the New York Giants in Munich, Germany, but his first-half absence was felt as the team started 2-7 in Dave Canales’ first season as head coach.
Wonnum finished strong, producing four sacks in eight games. That output gave Carolina hope entering 2025, and it also made the decision to eventually move on from Clowney a tad more palatable, especially with an influx of young talent joining the roster.
While he dealt with a back ailment during the first half of the offseason program, Wonnum was able to rejoin his teammates during June’s mandatory minicamp, giving him a much better outlook than the previous summer.
“I think Wonnum has done a great job getting his body back right,” Carter said. “Obviously, he’s going into his sixth year, so he’s been doing a great job, already playing in the league. … I think he’s a consistent player, (but) the biggest thing for him, is he just knows that his pass rush value will continue to increase for him.
“He’s a smart, knowledgeable player, and he will just continue to do good things for us as far as that perspective, and he’s leading the room in the right direction to make sure we have a great room.”
Carolina has put additional responsibility on his plate this summer. With Clowney gone, Wonnum, 28, is the elder statesman and a leader in the room.
“Him and Pat Jones are doing an awesome job because they are veterans in the room,’ Carter said. And they have kind of taken that thing by storm to understand how to get the group to play together, play as one, and understand that the defense starts with us.”
Jones, who played with Wonnum for three years in Minnesota, arrived in Carolina in March. Like Wonnum in 2024, Jones signed a two-year pact with the Panthers in 2025. The deal is worth $15 million in base value, but it also has incentives that can stretch the earnings up to $19 million.
Jones, 27, is coming off a career season, as he produced seven sacks in his final year with the Vikings. The Panthers have been notably enthusiastic about Jones’ versatility since he put pen to paper during free agency.
Carter admires his grit and football IQ, too.
“He wants to be ultra-physical. That’s what we need at the position,” Carter said about Jones. “He brings a wealth of knowledge to us. He can play inside, he can play outside — he does a lot of things on the edge, as far as setting the edge in the run game. But he’s an exciting piece to work with because of his knowledge of the game and the things that he can do (and) be versatile for us.”
The Panthers are also hoping that 2023 third-round pick D.J. Johnson can take the next step in his development. Johnson has earned a reputation of being one of the team’s few consistent run-defenders, but he’s yet to produce as a pass rusher.
Carter has gone back to the basics with his pass rushers to find ways to improve their production.
“For me, and just with the whole group as a whole, you never want to rush them into anything,” Carter said. “So, you always start from ground zero. You want to see what the base level of knowledge is first before you try to see what their rush moves are, what their counters are. You just start from the ground up with them, and you work them as you go.”
Johnson worked with Tem Lukabu — now the inside linebackers coach in Jacksonville — during his first two seasons in the league. So, the 26-year-old defender might benefit from a new voice in his ear.
“He knows that he’s going to continue to grow into a good rusher,” Carter said. “And he’s been doing a great job of that, practicing that pre-practice, post-practice, and doing those things for us.”
The future could be very bright
Carter’s “ground zero” approach should come in handy with the team’s rookie duo.
The Panthers were proactive during Day 2 of the draft, trading up for Scourton in the second round and Umanmielen in the third round. The two pass rushers have different skills sets and body types, and Carter will need to bring out the best in both to have a stable position group in 2025.
Scourton, who won’t turn 21 until August 25, is a unique prospect. He lost roughly 28 pounds between the start of his junior campaign at Texas A&M and his selection in April’s NFL Draft.
While he’s still a bulkier outside linebacker, Scourton’s weight loss should make him a bit more explosive and athletic off the line. He’s known for his relentless motor and football IQ, but the svelter physique is likely to give him an added edge in his performance at the next level.
“He has a savvy playmaking ability,” Carter said. “He can do it with speed (and) power, which is very good for us. … But since he’s been here, he’s turned into and is growing into a good pro because of the pairing with Pat, the pairing with Wonnum, and he’s doing those things at a high speed.”
Carter has also been impressed by Scourton’s workmanlike mentality.
“He studies his tape, does a good job on the practice field with his communication, and he’s going to take everything by storm for us,” Carter added. “Every opportunity that he does get to get any reps and stuff like that in practice, he’s been doing a great job taking advantage of them.”
But like with any young player, Carter doesn’t want to get too far ahead with Scourton’s development. The second-round pick is still growing into his body frame and developing his natural skills.
Carter wants him to focus on the little details at the position, instead of opening Scourton up to all that his versatility can offer, at least for now.
“We’ve got him just focusing on some small things right now, so he can just continue to hone in on those small skills,” Carter said. But as he continues to grow, we’ll grow with him. You just never know how he’s going to wind up, how he’s going to end up, but he has shown the level of knowledge and skill set to potentially play in several different positions.”
Umanmielen, 23, is the older and more experienced player out of two rookie pass rushers.
After four seasons at Florida and one campaign at Mississippi, the 6-foot-5, 255-pound pass rusher has proven that he can consistently beat offensive tackles with his speed and bending ability.
“He has something that’s God-given, and that’s very awesome for him,” Carter said. “He has an elite skill, and we’re excited to have him, and see what type of rush situations or anything that we can put him in to make him a productive player. We’re super excited about some of the things that he could do for us on the edge.”
Carter — who began his coaching career at the high school level in 2015 — will try to get the team’s young pass rushers ready to contribute right away. With Clowney gone, Carter won’t have much of a choice.
The Panthers want to improve for now and the future, and with a new leader in the outside linebacker room, the team’s brass is hoping that the young position coach can develop alongside his young players. Carter is attempting to take the upside of his group and guide it into a positive realization on the field.
With a projected rotation featuring Wonnum, Jones, Scourton and Umanmielen — and perhaps others, like Johnson — Carter could prove his worth sooner rather than later. The Panthers need to see a positive impact early on if they want to get off to a strong start on defense.
This story was originally published July 21, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
