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Nic Scourton, EDGE, Texas A&M (Junior)

Picture of Rayane M

Rayane M

The 2025 NFL Draft is fast approaching, and despite an initial impression that this year's class might lack talent, The Trick Play team has once again delved into the tapes to bring you scouting reports on the players who will soon wear the jerseys of your favorite franchises.

From Quarterback to Safety, including the trenches where Offensive Linemen and Defensive Linemen engage in a relentless battle, Rayane and Valentin will walk you through the new faces of this 2025 draft class while everyone is excited about the coming NFL Draft

Strengths :

  • Impressive explosivity
  • In constant movement
  • Solid against the run
  • Shows nice promises on zones
  • Good play recognition
  • Good pass rush abilities
  • Age
  • Big ceiling
 


Weaknesses :

  • Wingspan seems pretty short
  • Not always on control
  • Spends a little bit too much time on the bench
  • Lacks a little bit of upper-body flexibility
  • Adequate bend

TTProfil

 
How could we not start with what makes Nic Scourton one of the most intriguing Edge prospects in the upcoming draft? There are really two traits that immediately stand out when watching Nic—traits that even the most casual observers will notice right away.
 
The first thing—without a doubt—is the impressive explosiveness in his game. Whether it’s his first step out of his stance, the way he violently swipes at blockers’ hands with quick, active movements, or the sheer power he generates when going for a bull rush, Nic oozes explosiveness and burst. It’s something you can see on literally any of his tapes, and it stands out as one of his biggest strengths.
All the more promising considering that, according to some insiders, Scourton reportedly shed quite a bit of weight ahead of the pre-draft process—weight that the Texas A&M staff had originally asked him to put on. This would bring him closer to his playing weight back at Purdue, where his explosiveness was even more noticeable. Definitely a good sign.
 
Et c’est justement cette intensité constante qui rend Nic Scourton aussi plaisant à observer. Il ne triche pas, il ne sélectionne pas ses actions : chaque snap est une opportunité pour lui de faire un jeu décisif. Ce moteur impressionnant, combiné à son explosivité naturelle, en fait un cauchemar pour les OL adverses. C’est typiquement le genre de profil qu’un coach va adorer intégrer dans sa rotation défensive, voire même bâtir autour s’il continue sur cette lancée.
He's also a pleasure to watch when pursuing plays, because once again, he executes without hesitation and does it at a good pace most of the time, which often allows him to stay close to the ball and remain involved in what's happening on the field.
 
Before discussing his abilities as a pass rusher, it's important to highlight the impact Nic can have against the run—an area where he certainly holds his own. Thanks to solid strength in both his upper and lower body, Scourton does a good job holding off most blockers. And thanks to the explosiveness we mentioned earlier, he even occasionally manages to avoid oncoming blockers altogether and go straight after the play.
Thanks to these key traits—his solid strength, impressive explosiveness, and relentless motor—Nic is a strong run defender. In fact, he could still take another step forward by learning to slightly rein in his energy and enthusiasm. In other words, with a bit more experience.
 
Scourton also showed some encouraging flashes throughout the season when dropping into zone coverage. While there’s still work to be done, it’s quite promising, and it opens the door to envisioning him as a potential OLB at the pro level. It’s rare enough to highlight, but Nic truly seems comfortable and in his element, which suggests solid potential in that area.
 
Naturally, if he's able to show promise against the run, as a pass rusher, and even in zone coverage situations, it's also because Nic has a fairly solid ability to read the game. While he still occasionally falls into traps, it's usually due to overcommitment rather than poor instincts. Overall, Scourton reads the game quite well and doesn’t waste much time processing, which places him in the upper tier of prospects in this area — a skill often lacking at the college level.
 
Finally, let's focus on what most people care about when discussing the Edge rusher position: his abilities as a Pass rusher. While it's quite clear that Scourton is a Power rusher based on his physique and playing style, I was rather impressed by the quality of the few pass rush moves he has mastered, particularly his Spin move, which is devastating. While Nic may not be the prospect with the most developed arsenal I've scouted, it's still solid.
One thing is for sure, there is a real area of growth for his Pass rush to add more finesse and technique to his arsenal, which currently relies too much on his power and physical abilities. As I mentioned, it seems like he has lost weight to get closer to his ideal weight from his Purdue days, meaning that while he should gain explosiveness and velocity, he might lose some power. This makes it even more important for him to develop a more varied technical arsenal.
 
Finally, we shouldn't forget that Scourton is still young. When watching him play, it's easy to forget that he was only 20 years old this season and will turn 21 next August. The promise of his potential is therefore very significant, and his age will be a decisive factor that could really influence his value in the upcoming draft.
With Nic Scourton's strengths now behind us, it's time to look at the little flaws in his game.
One small point that could be important once he arrives in the NFL and will be worth monitoring during the official measurements of the pre-draft process, is that, by eye when studying the tapes, Nic seems to have rather short arms.
Enough, at least, for me to notice it multiple times. We'll have to see if this is confirmed, but if it is, his shorter wingspan could make it harder for him to use certain pass rush techniques or even struggle to disengage from blockers once the block is engaged, especially with the size and strength of NFL players. This will definitely be a point to monitor during his development once he reaches the big league.
 
While Nic is clearly a player full of enthusiasm on the field, he will still need to be a bit more controlled in this regard. It's not that his energy is a problem in itself—quite the opposite—but rather that due to this, Nic sometimes tends to play a bit out of control.
He plays with so much drive that it's not uncommon to see him throw himself into the battle, often resulting in missed plays due to this eagerness.
If you need an example, just watch the game against Texas this season. I lost count of the number of reps where Nic ends up on the ground after losing his balance in his eagerness to rush the play, allowing the offensive lineman to push him down. By diving in when he was actually in position to make the play, he also missed one or two tackles in that game, including one for a loss.
It's a shame, especially since he's capable— as shown in the videos— of having more composed, more thoughtful reps where you can clearly see that he has no particular balance issues, thanks in part to the strong lower body he possesses. His enthusiasm often pushes him to rush into the play, completely throwing off his balance. He will need to be channeled in the right direction or, alternatively, selected by a team that plays in a 1-gap system where Scourton will have the freedom to fully commit to his designated gap responsibility.
 
Another point that requires a closer look at his season is that Scourton sometimes spends a lot of time off the field. I noticed this in several games, and I can't really explain why he ends up on the bench for such long stretches. When it comes to pass rushing, he is quite dominant. He is also solid in run-stopping situations and remains very engaged in these plays. So, I don't quite understand the issue, especially considering he's shown that he can line up effectively as both a Defensive End and an Outside Linebacker, whether in a 3-4 or 4-3 front.
The only plausible reason I can think of would be a lack of cardio, but even then, from what I saw on tape, Scourton didn't seem excessively fatigued. Moreover, I think that if endurance is indeed an issue, the weight loss should help him sustain reps more effectively.
 
Finally, the last two points to consider are actually quite related, as you'll see, because Nic lacks a bit of flexibility in his upper body. It's far from horrible, but on certain movements, particularly in pass rush situations, it's often what costs him that extra second to get a sack rather than just a pressure.
This also directly affects his ability to bend, which is clearly not elite either, although it's still not horrible. Nic would greatly benefit from working on this to become more lethal once in the pros, but again, I’ll wait to see what he can show after his weight loss, as the Scourton from Purdue seemed much more lethal and comfortable in his pass rush.

 

 

In conclusion, Nic Scourton has a very nice profile and will certainly catch the attention of franchises looking for a young power rusher to develop, but precisely, the key word here is development.

It may be wise not to place too many expectations on his shoulders in his rookie year because, while it's clear that Nic has talent and potential, he is also still raw in some areas, perhaps more than initially apparent. The worst thing would be to draft him and expect him to immediately revive and carry all the responsibilities of a team's pass rush; that would set him up for failure. I believe that, once fully developed, Nic Scourton could evolve into a profile similar to Preston Smith.
A solid projection as a reliable Edge 2 who can truly make his mark in the league if he lands in the right environment, with the upside that could potentially allow him to aim higher—this is clearly the trajectory I envision for him.

That being said, I’m eagerly awaiting his official measurements, which could slightly lower his value if they confirm the T-Rex arm impression I’ve had. This point is quite concerning because it could affect both his performance as a pass rusher and as a run stopper. In that case, no matter how much he trains and develops, if the offensive lineman gets his hands on him and locks him in the block before he can even get close, Nic won’t be able to do anything more.

In the meantime, Nic Scourton joins Abdul Carter in Tier 1 of my Edge rankings for this draft class, and I wouldn’t have too much trouble seeing him go in the first round. However, in reality, his still somewhat raw side would make him a better candidate for the start of the second round, given the development needed and the profile he brings with him.

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