NFL Mock Draft: Panthers land 'powerful' edge rusher but not Abdul Carter

Abdul Carter comes off the board, but the Panthers still find an edge rusher.

Oct 5, 2024; College Station, Texas, USA; Texas A&M Aggies defensive lineman Nic Scourton (11) reacts after sacking Missouri Tigers quarterback Brady Cook (not pictured) in the first quarter at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images. / Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

Most mock drafts have the Carolina Panthers loading up on defense. They especially focus on the defensive line, and the majority consider edge rushers to be the team's biggest need. If Abdul Carter, the top edge rusher in the draft, is there, the Panthers will probably take him.

If he's not, which he's not in the latest mock draft from FOX Sports, then the Panthers have to pivot. In this case, they pivoted, but they didn't move to a different position on the field. Instead, they took another promising pass-rusher to help pressure the quarterback next year.

Panthers land Nic Scourton in NFL Mock Draft

A bit of a disaster scenario unfolded in this mock draft. Will Johnson, Mason Graham, Abdul Carter (who went one pick earlier to the New York Jets), and Malaki Starks were all off the board before Carolina's pick. That left them Nic Scourton, a 4-3 defensive end who Rob Rang believes is underrated.

The Panthers looked pretty toothless in the pass rush department in 2024 with grizzled veterans A'Shawn Washington and Ja'deveon Clowney their top sackmasters with 5.5 and 4.5 takedowns, respectively," Rang wrote. "Scourton isn't talked about enough as a top-10 talent. Stout, powerful and technically refined, he's a pro-ready bruiser who could help a healthy Derrick Brown turn around this defense quickly next season."

Scourton and James Pearce are widely considered the best edge rushers outside of Carter, who seems poised to be the first one taken. If the Panthers don't get him, there are alternative options. The fit within Ejiro Evero's 3-4 scheme might be a little bit awkward, but the Panthers can't be too picky.

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