Panthers pass rusher named top potential breakout candidate for 2026
· Yahoo Sports
The Carolina Panthers added a bunch of new talent this offseason. They spent big money in free agency to improve their defense—acquiring proven playmakers up front in pass rusher Jaelan Phillips and Pro Bowl linebacker Devin Lloyd.
While the new faces should help the long-suffering defensive front seven, they may not be enough to bring this group up to elite territory. The Panthers will also need some of their younger returning players take the next step forward, particularly second-year edge rusher Nic Scourton—who has been named the team's top potential breakout candidate by Bleacher Report.
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Kristopher Knox writes:
Fans should also continue tracking second-year edge-rusher Nic Scourton. As a rookie, Scourton tied for the team lead with five sacks. The arrival of free agent Jaelan Phillips should give Scourton a legitimate bookend complement, and it should be fun to see how the pair grows during the summer.
After demonstrating blazing potential during the preseason, Scourton didn't see the field much early on as a rookie—but as his snap count grew so did his production. He finished the year with 5.0 sacks, seven tackles for a loss, nine quarterback hits and 15 pressures.
For his efforts, Scourton earned a 68.1 overall grade from Pro Football Focus, ranking 54th out of 115 qualifying players at his position. He received decent grades in pass rushing (60.7) and run defense (63.3).
While the Panthers greatly improved their run defense last year after a historically bad performance in 2024, they still ended the season near the bottom of the NFL in sacks. Scourton will have to play his part in bringing an end to that disparity for Carolina's defense.
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This article originally appeared on Falcons Wire: Panthers OLB Nic Scourton named team's top breakout candidate for 2026