Panthers sign second-round OLB Nic Scourton, complete rookie deals

Scourton was selected with the No. 51 pick in April’s draft. That slot saw guarantee rates of 54.8% and 66.4% over the past two years, Jason FItzgerald of Over the Cap notes. This pact is highly unlikely to be fully guaranteed like a number of other second-round deals signed this year, but Scourton no doubt moved that mark upward like all other players taken around him in the 2025 draft.

During his first two college seasons, Scourton played at Purdue. After not logging any starts as a freshman, he stood out the following year with 10 sacks (most in the Big Ten) and 15 tackles for loss. Last offseason, the second-team all-conference performer transferred to Texas A&M. During his lone campaign with the Aggies, Scourton saw his sack total drop to five (which nevertheless led the team) while adding 14 tackles for loss and a forced fumble.

That production landed him first-team All-SEC honors as well as a second-team All-American nod. Scourton drew plenty of attention during the pre-draft process and it came as little surprise when he came off the board midway through the second round. The Panthers were seen by many as a strong candidate to select a pass rusher with their first pick, but they instead went the receiver route on Day 1 (Tetairoa McMillan) before turning their attention to pass rushers.

Scourton’s selection was followed by that of Princely Umanmielen in the third round. Both rookies should feature on at least a part-time basis as members of an edge rush group which lost Jadeveon Clowney due to his release this spring. Scourton’s strength against the run should allow him to carve out a role fairly early with Carolina as the team looks to take a needed step forward on defense in 2025.

With Scourton’s pact taken care of, here is the full breakdown of the Panthers’ draft class:

• Round 1, No. 8: Tetairoa McMillan (WR, Arizona) (signed)
• Round 2, No. 51 (from Broncos): Nic Scourton (OLB, Texas A&M) (signed)
• Round 3, No. 77 (from Falcons through Patriots): Princely Umanmielen (OLB, Ole Miss) (signed)
• Round 4, No. 114 (from Cowboys): Trevor Etienne (RB, Georgia) (signed)
• Round 4, No. 122 (from Broncos): Lathan Ransom (S, Ohio State) (signed)
• Round 5, No. 140 (from Giants): Cam Jackson (DT, Florida) (signed)
• Round 5, No. 163 (from Ravens): Mitchell Evans (TE, Notre Dame) (signed)
• Round 6, No. 208 (from Eagles through Broncos): Jimmy Horn (WR, Colorado) (signed)