2025 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Nic Scourton

Prospect Summary:

Impact players on the defensive line never last long in the NFL Draft, and Scourton has the potential to be one of that kind of prospects. Scouton has a skill set and physical talent that is difficult to find, and NFL teams easily fall in love with rare prospects. If Scourton stays consistent in 2024, he will likely get selected early in the 2025 NFL Draft.

There is so much to love about Scourton for the NFL. He has a freaky skill set with a strong, thick body with shocking speed and athleticism for a thick build defender. Most players with Scourton’s thickness are stiff, but he has shocking twitch and loose hips for a strong player. Scourton is quick off the ball and has a serious burst to close. His loose hips allow him to dip and get low to keep offensive linemen from getting a good grip on him, and his athleticism gives him excellent redirect ability for a lineman of his size. Scourton’s agility and loose body let him play with excellent leverage as he plays low with serious power. Scourton has a rare skill set that makes him a nightmare to block.

In the pass rush, Scourton beats offensive tackles in a variety of ways. There are plays where he just utterly dominates them with his power. Bull rushing them back to the quarterback and then tossing them to the side like trash. Right now, Scourton’s bull rush power would be a problem for a lot of pro offensive tackles. Scourton has excellent active hands that chop violently, and his strong upper body makes him very adept at shedding blocks. On top of being powerful, Scourton has speed off the ball, and he can get upfield quickly. When Scourton is free, he shows a shocking burst to close for a thick build defender and his closing speed in the confined space is a problem for quarterbacks. Scourton is very dangerous in pursuit, and if tackles aren’t ready for his quickness with depth in their drop, Scourton can run by them. Scourton shows a variety of pass-rushing moves as he will deploy a spin move to go along with his power rush, speed rush, and speed-to-power rush. On top of being violent with blockers, Scourton will punish the quarterback, and he puts them into the turf with serious physicality. That being said, Scourton is the good kind of violent player and does not play dirty. He could be a special pass rusher at the NFL level.

As a run defender, Scourton is tough and physical. He is strong and stout at the point of attack showing the ability to hold his gap and prevent getting pushed back. Scourton does a good job of using his hands and strength to shed blocks and flow to the ball. In pursuit, he works his way through trash and is a good tackler. When lining up inside, Scourton could use some refinement as a run defender for the next level, and it will be interesting to see how the Aggies deploy him in 2024. Still, Scourton should be a plus ground presence as a pro.

Scourton also offers flexibility in lining up at a variety of spots. He can play inside or outside on the defensive line, showing that he can be effective in a wide nine, a five technique, or sliding inside to tackle as a three technique. Purdue even dropped him into pass coverage as a linebacker last year, and while he looked good in space for a player of his size, he should be rushing as an end or tackle as a pro. He could be an end on base downs that moves inside to tackle in the sub package. It will not surprise this analyst if Scourton ends up being an impact player at the NFL level that produces a lot of disruption and production as a defensive end, three technique tackle, or a hybrid between the two.