After seeing an uptick in playing time in week three, Carolina Panthers' rookie defensive end Nic Scourton continues to be a name to watch this season.

The Carolina Panthers, despite beginning the season with two-straight losses, were able to overpower their fellow NFC South members on Sunday in the Atlanta Falcons, 30-0. And with most of the attention being focused on the strong offensive performance, fans must keep a close eye on 2025 second-round pick Nic Scourton.

When asked about the rookies on Monday, Panthers' head coach Dave Canales told reporters that he is proud of the rookies' development while highlighting out Scourton as one of the players. 

"I'm really proud with the way [the rookies] are developing and they're working," Canales told reporters. "You know, I think picking one guy Nic Scourton, he really works his butt off at practice. He gives everything he has and he's taking the coaching and principles. Is it perfect? No, but he learns lessons, he continues to stack lesson, and I can say that generally about this young group. They are taking the challenges the right way...and it's a trust factor thing, you know?"

Scourton, who was selected in the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft, was a key playmaker for Carolina heading into this season on the defensive side of the ball due to the lack of depth at the position. In his final season at the college level, the 21-year-old finished with 37 total tackles, five sacks and one forced fumble with the Texas A&M Aggies.

Scourton was not the only defensive end to be selected by the franchise in the 2025 NFL Draft, as the Panthers also selected Ole Miss EDGE Princely Umanmielen in the following round, giving them a young duo of pass rushers.

And while Umanmielen continues to develop, Scourton has already made great strides this season to get on the field. In his first two weeks, the former SEC standout played a combined 40 snaps. However, he would see a dramatic increase in workload due to the team holding a commanding lead against the Falcons in week three, totaling 36 passing snaps and 20 running snaps.

With the state of the defensive line being rough ever since the franchise's decision to trade star EDGE Brian Burns last offseason, the Panthers are in desperate need of a talented pass rusher on the outside to help defensive tackle Derrick Brown. The 2025 draft class was riddled with high-end pass rushers, which allowed for Carolina to take wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan in round one while selecting two defensive ends on day two.

Scourton's production in college compared to his peers may not have been at the same level, but his size and frame could allow him to become a weapon when getting after the quarterback. At 6-foot-4, 285 lbs., Scourton's elite frame and strength off the line of scrimmage can be easily translated to the NFL with proper development. This will give more freedom for Brown within the trenches, while also putting less pressure on the secondary unit when defending the pass.