A scouting report on the Texas A&M edge rusher.
The New England Patriots entered the 2025 offseason in dire need of rebuilding their defensive edge. That process started by signing Harold Landry and K’Lavon Chaisson in free agency, but there appears to be room on the depth chart for more reinforcements — especially of the young, developmental type.
Nic Scourton, a projected early-round pick in this year’s draft, fits that description to a T.
Hard facts
Name: Nic Scourton
Position: Defensive edge/Defensive end
School: Texas A&M
Opening day age: 21 (8/25/2004)
Measurements: 6’2 3/4”, 257 lbs, 80 7/8” wingspan, 33” arm length, 10” hand size, N/A Relative Athletic Score
Experience
Colleges: Purdue (2022-23), Texas A&M (2024)
Career statistics: 37 games (23 starts) | 1,524 defensive snaps, 262 special teams snaps | 109 tackles, 20 missed tackles (15.5%), 31 TFLs, 4 forced fumbles | 88 quarterback pressures (17 sacks, 10 hits, 61 hurries) | 3 special teams tackles
Accolades: First-team All-SEC (2024), Second-team All-Big Ten (2023)
Scourton — who was named Nic Caraway before changing his last name in honor of his father in 2023 — was graded as a four-star recruit coming out of Bryan High School in his Texas hometown. He received a dozen scholarship offers, including from Purdue, where he ended up spending the first two seasons of his college career.
During his 2022 and 2023 campaigns, Scourton registered a combined 72 tackles, 12 sacks and three forced fumbles. He received second-team All-Big Ten honors before transferring to Texas A&M for his 2024 junior campaign, a move bringing him within 4 miles of his high school field. As an Aggie, he added 5 more sacks as well as first-team All-SEC honors to his résumé.
Scourton decided to forgo his final year of eligibility to enter the NFL Draft. He was invited to but dropped out of the Senior Bowl; he did participate in the Scouting Combine.
Draft profile
Expected round: 1-2 | Consensus big board: No. 38 | Patriots meeting: Combine + 30 visit
Strengths: One of the youngest prospects in this year’s draft, Scourton combines an intriguing skillset with developmental upside. Measuring at just under 6-foot-3 and 257 pounds, he was noticeably slimmer at the Combine than his previous listed playing weight of 280. Shedding some weight should help him add more of a speed element to his game after it was based primarily around his raw power in college.
An efficient pass rusher, he tries to overwhelm blockers with initial burst, leverage and a variety of pass rush moves (bull, swipe, spin, push-pull). Looking comfortable both in a two- and a three-point stance, he projects as a versatile player at the next level: he has the compact build and play recognition to be an effective edge setter versus the run even at a lower weight, and also can attack downhill from multiple techniques along the defensive line.
Scourton also is a high-intensity player who showcases good effort on pursuit plays.
Nic Scourton is well-rounded edge prospect.
He’s 6’4, 285lbs yet moves incredibly well and is known for his signature spin move. He’s also one of the better run defenders in this class.
78 pressures and 12 sacks in the last 2 seasons at Purdue and Texas A&M. Top 50 player. pic.twitter.com/FNFSnptJWC
— NFL Draft Files (@NFL_DF) February 9, 2025
Weaknesses: Scourton losing around 25 pounds since the end of the 2024 season was necessary given that he played a bit heavy at times at Texas A&M. However, it remains to be seen whether or not slimming down will have a positive impact on his game. Ideally, it will help him with some of the shortcomings he had in 2024, including being overly reliant on power and winning with his initial rush rather than through the use of bend and speed counters.
Occasionally, Scourton’s relative lack of length was neutralized by opposing blockers when he failed to get into their chest plate at first try. Not being a consistent threat to win around the edge due to a lack of acceleration and natural speed also made it easier for linemen to thwart his initial attacks and take him out of plays. While those might improve with lower weight, questions remain about his ability to funnel run plays inside at 257 versus 280 pounds.
Patriots preview
What would be his role? Scourton is expected to play the same basic role at the next level that he had at Purdue and Texas A&M. He will primarily line up as an edge from the 5-technique out, but also move to the interior as part of select packages. He has three-down potential due to his expertise against both the run and the pass, but it might take some acclimation period for him to get used to playing both at a high level against NFL competition.
What is his growth potential? Scourton will not turn 21 until late August, meaning that he is still in a developing stage of his career. What his trajectory will be depends on his ability to expand his pass rush repertoire while also remaining an effective edge setter even at a lighter weight. If he can do those things, he projects as a starter-level outside linebacker and all-around contributor in both three- and four-man fronts.
Does he have positional versatility? Scourton is a naturally versatile player capable of aligning, and being effective, all over the defensive line. If he can consistently marry his power with explosivity, he will be a handful for interior blockers; if he can add a speed element to his game, he will be tough to fend off around the edge. While some of his versatility therefore relies on projection, he has the tools to be turned into a multi-faceted chess piece at the next level.
Why the Patriots? The Patriots love their do-it-all players, and Scourton has the skillset to become just that in the NFL. Adding him to the mix furthermore would help the team address its current depth issues on the edge: while a starting duo of Harold Landry and Anfernee Jennings is a marked improvement from last year, the depth behind them — even with former first-round pick K’Lavon Chaisson in the mix — is still a question mark.
Why not the Patriots? As of April 2, the ever-evolving consensus board has Scourton ranked at No. 38 — right at the Patriots’ second-round pick. But while they should therefore be in a position to draft him, they might opt to use the selection differently either as a trade chip or to address other concerns on their roster such as wide receiver or offensive tackle. They also might not be comfortable with the development projection attached to him.
One-sentence verdict: Scourton has a long way to go before reaching his full potential, but he already checks several of the boxes a Mike Vrabel-led team is looking for.
What do you think about Nic Scourton as a potential Patriots target? Please head down to the comment section to share your thoughts.