Dan Morgan started his 2025 NFL Draft with a bang after selecting wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan at No. 8 overall. However, the Carolina Panthers still had six more rounds and eight picks to navigate.
Day 2 of the draft is where value can be found. The Panthers were giving up their second-rounder (No. 39) to the Chicago Bears as the final piece of their trade-up for quarterback Bryce Young. They got one back from the Los Angeles Rams last year, but it represented a long wait until No. 57 overall.
Most expected Morgan to focus on defense with his first-rounder. That didn't come to fruition, with the general manager deciding that productive defensive linemen and edge rushers would be more readily available than wide receivers further down the pecking order.
Carolina Panthers make daring trade up for edge rusher Nic Scourton
He was right. And Morgan wasn't going to wait around.
The Panthers struck a deal with the Denver Broncos for the No. 51 pick. This involved four (yes, you read that right) pick swaps to seal the deal.
Broncos trade: 51, 84, 122, 208
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) April 26, 2025
Panthers trade: 57, 74, 111, 230
The Panthers took Nic Scourton. This represents another intriguing addition to Ejiro Evero's historically bad defense, which went through untold complications during the previous campaign and rightfully received a substantial makeover throughout the offseason.
There is a lot to like about Scourton's fit in Carolina. Looking at the options currently available to Evero in his edge rushing room, the former Texas A&M standout should fancy his chances of gaining significant responsibilities right out of the gate.
This is the exact sort of character Morgan is looking for. Scourton is fast, explosive, physical, and plays with a mean streak that's hard not to love. All that is matched by accomplished college production with Purdue before going to the Aggies, which was high on Carolina's list of priorities throughout this pre-draft assessment phase.
Scourton isn't going to miraculously cure the Panthers' pass-rushing woes. But there's a lot to like about his skill set meshing well with the veterans. He'll also bring an extra level of energy that was sorely lacking last time around.
This looks like a home run hit on paper. But getting it done where it counts is all that matters in pursuit of turning Carolina's woeful defense around.