Carolina Panthers steal the first round talent the rest of the NFL overlooked in round two of the 2025 NFL Draft
The Carolina Panthers surprised many people when they selected All-American wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan with their first round pick at eighth overall on Thursday. Most believed the team would try and fix their league worst scoring defense right out of the gate, but they did not.When it came time for the Panthers to make their second […]
The Carolina Panthers surprised many people when they selected All-American wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan with their first round pick at eighth overall on Thursday. Most believed the team would try and fix their league worst scoring defense right out of the gate, but they did not.
When it came time for the Panthers to make their second round selection it was clear the team was going to go defense, but which player would the choose? It turns out the decision was likely an easy one seeing as Nic Scourton (EDGE, Texas A&M) was still somehow on the board.
Nic Scourton had been projected as a first round pick for much of the 2025 NFL Draft process, but somehow he fell all the way down to pick 51 (the 19th pick in the second round). The Panthers obviously saw their opportunity to get a player that half the NFL had overlooked for far too long so they traded up with the Denver Broncos to select Nic Scourton (Panthers sent 57, 74, 111, 230 while Broncos sent 51, 85, 122, 208).
The Panthers had sorely needed to replenish their pass rush ever since they moved Brian Burns to the New York Giants. Carolina had exactly zero players rack up more than six sacks in 2024, so snagging a pass rusher with nearly 80 pressures and 12 sacks in less than two complete seasons from 2023 to 2024 was a big priority for them.
For more on Scourton, just check out this scouting report from our very own NFL Draft analyst, Ian Valentino.
Nic Scourton Scouting Report
Edge Defender, Texas A&M
Age (Birthday): (08/25/2004)
A to Z Sports Expected Draft Position: 32
Pre-Draft Round Projection: 1
A densely built athlete who can size up or lean out depending on his role, Nic Scourton immediately proved to be a difference-maker after enrolling at Purdue. His subsequent transfer to Texas A&M brought a less-inspiring effort and level of play, but the high-end flashes show why he was a quality four star recruit. A locked-in version of Scourton has one of the highest upsides in the class as both a run defender setting the edge and a potentially elite pass rusher. – Ian Valentino of A to Z Sports
Career Projection: Boom Bust Starter Potential
Carolina Panthers ignore overblown warning signs with Tetairoa McMillan as they select him in NFL Draft to help QB Bryce Young
Carolina Panthers ignore warnings with Tetairoa McMillan in hopes he can help Bryce Young
We'll be back with more Carolina Panthers coverage here at A to Z Sports soon! Follow me (@FF_TravisM) and A to Z Sports (@AtoZSportsNFL) on X for all the latest football news!
And if you want to see why Nic Scourton was absolutely worthy of a first round pick and the Panthers got a steal just check out his highlights in the video below!
