How Carolina Panthers’ Edge Nic Scourton Is Wickedly Underrated

Oct 12, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Panthers linebacker Nic Scourton (11) looks on after the game against the Dallas Cowboys at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Kinser-Imagn Images Scott Kinser-Imagn Images

How Carolina Panthers’ Edge Nic Scourton Is Wickedly Underrated

Originally posted on Carolina Panthers on SI
By Russell Baxter | Last updated May 19, 2026 6:00 AM ET

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The NFL’s 272-game regular-season slate has been released, and it’s OTA time for many of the clubs. The Pro Football Hall of Fame Game between the Carolina Panthers and Arizona Cardinals is still more than two months away, but there is certainly a little football in the air as teams start to limber up and evaluate their talent.

Brent Sobleski of Bleacher Report came out with another insightful list, this one focusing on each of the 32 clubs in the league and each organization’s best-kept secret. Dave Canales’s team certainly had a few unsung heroes on a team that managed to squeeze into the playoffs. One of those was a 6’2”, 257-pound defender who seemed to hit his stride late in the 2025 season.

Panthers’ OLB Nic Scourton is the team’s best-kept secret

Nic Scourton Full Rookie Regular Szn Highlights

What are you expectations for the 2nd year Pass rusher coming into 2026? pic.twitter.com/hsVI9m7t4E
— Panthers Highlts (@PanthersHighlts) May 18, 2026

“Nic Scourton showed up as a rookie," explained Sobleski, "with team-leading five sacks. Last year’s second-round draft pick didn’t even become a regular starter until the last five weeks (including the playoff tilt with the Rams) of the 2025 campaign. Scourton’s promising rookie campaign should elevate him to full-time starter status, while benefiting from the (Jaelan) Phillips’ addition."

The latter was general manager Dan Morgan’s big ticket acquisition, inking the former Miami Dolphins’ performer/turned Philadelphia Eagles’ disruptor to a four-year, $120 million deal in March. Sobleski feels that the addition of Phillips will elevate the second-year defender’s game.

Nic Scourton and Jaelan Phillips could be a potent pass-rushing tandem

Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

“The Panthers previously lacked a legitimate edge presence,” said Sobleski. “Now, defenses will concentrate on slowing Carolina’s prized free-agent addition, while Scourton can regularly win his one-on-one matches as the squad’s bookend,"

Scourton’s five quarterback traps tied for the team lead with defensive tackle Derrick Brown. The one-time Texas A&M Aggie played in all 17 regular-season contests, making eight starts, and was also in the opening lineup vs. Sean McVay’s Rams in the wild card round. He finished with 47 stops during the regular season (7 for losses) and was second on the team behind Brown (11) in quarterback hits (9). Scourton’s five sacks came in the club’s final 11 regular-season outings.

Pressuring opposing QBs has been a recent problem for Carolina

Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

The Panthers have struggled to chase down quarterbacks the past three seasons. Since 2023, no team in the league has amassed fewer sacks (89). The club has not enjoyed a 40-sack campaign since 2019 (53), and no Carolina player has racked up double-digit sacks since Brian Burns (12.5) turned the trick in 2022.

If things play out this season with the addition of Phillips and more progress from Scourton, the Panthers could see both of those streaks come to a screeching halt.

This article first appeared on Carolina Panthers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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