Photo: Matthew Visinsky/Icon Sportswire

The Panthers addressed a couple of needs on the first two days of the Draft. After selecting wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan with their first pick, they doubled down at edge rusher in the second and third rounds with Nic Scourton and Princely Umanmielen, respectively. We will focus on Scourton in this article as he is a great fit to fill the void in their pass rush after they traded Brian Burns to the Big Apple. 

What He Brings

Our scouting report describes Scourton as a big, physical, explosive EDGE who should earn a starting job early on and could develop into a high-end player if he continues his trajectory. His explosive power and expansive pass rush repertoire are certainly strengths in his game. He also possesses a hair-on-fire mentality, but this can get him in trouble with his positioning in the run game. He has all the tools to be a reliable run defender on the edge if he can become more disciplined in his run fits. 

After two productive years at Purdue including 8.5 sacks in 2023, he had a disappointing 2024 season at Texas A&M where his numbers fell in a new scheme and conference. The table below highlights these differences: 

Nic Scourton – Last 2 Seasons

Despite a disappointing 2024 season, Scourton’s production in 2023 at Purdue gives us reason to believe that the Panthers can develop him at the next level. He is not just a pass rusher as he earned 18 and 12 Total Points against the run the past two seasons (click the link to learn more about Total Points, our all-encompassing player value stat). His ability to play the pass and run should earn him a starting role early on, as the Panthers desperately need talent off the edge. 

The Need He Fills

The Panthers pass rush was non-existent last season after the departure of Brian Burns and an early season injury to star DT Derrick Brown. The table below highlights the struggles of the Panthers pass rush last season: 

Carolina Panthers

It doesn’t paint a pretty picture. The Panthers need their young additions to inject some life into their pass rush. To be fair to last year’s group, it wasn’t pretty the year before either with Burns and Brown, as the team ranked last in 2023 with 27 sacks. 

How Scourton Fits What Carolina Does

Scourton played in college around 280 pounds before weighing in at the combine at 255. Our scouting report mentioned body composition work to help improve functional strength. It doesn’t seem like this was just for combine testing either as the Panthers roster lists him at 257 pounds. The weight loss should prepare him well for his new role with the Panthers as a stand-up EDGE. 

Panthers EDGEs primarily play in a 2-point stance instead of putting their hand in the dirt. The aforementioned weight loss should help as he played exclusively with his hand in the dirt at Purdue and 71% of his snaps at Texas A&M. If he can maintain his strength, the weight loss could help him unlock some speed and bend to raise an already high ceiling even higher. 

Scourton is a perfect fit for the Panthers and great value to address a need in the second round. They get a player that plays unbelievably hard and should see the field early and often while possessing a high-ceiling. His drop in weight at the combine was certainly unique, but a body transformation could unlock new parts of his game, as long as he can maintain his strength. 

Bryce Young and the Panthers started to turn the corner at the end of last season. To build on that success and challenge Tampa Bay for the NFC South crown, they desperately need to find some pass rush success. Scourton might just be the guy to provide it.