Dallas City News

We continue our 2025 NFL Draft preview of draft prospects that could interest the Dallas Cowboys. Today we are looking at defensive end Nic Scourton from Texas A&M.

Nic Scourton

DE
Texas A&M Aggies
Junior
4-star recruit
6’3”
257 lbs

Photo by Michael Wade/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

History

Nic Scourton, born on August 25, 2004, in Bryan, Texas, and attended Bryan High School. Over his final two seasons, he amassed 136 tackles and eight sacks. His performance earned him a spot in the All-American Bowl, showcasing the nation’s top high school talent. He was a consensus four-star recruit and committed to Purdue University in 2022.

In his freshman year, Scourton played in 14 games, recording 22 tackles, including two tackles for loss, and two sacks. His immediate contribution highlighted his readiness for top college competition.

Scourton’s sophomore year marked a breakout season. He led the Big Ten Conference with 10 sacks and tallied 50 total tackles, including 15 tackles for loss. His performance earned him Second Team All-Big Ten honors.

Seeking to play closer to home, Scourton transferred to Texas A&M University for his junior year. He started all 12 games, leading the Aggies with 14 tackles for loss and five sacks. He also recorded 37 total tackles, two pass breakups, and a forced fumble. His performance earned him First-Team All-SEC honors.

2024 Statistics

558 Defensive Snaps
37 Total Tackles
14 Tackles For Loss
6 Missed Tackles
22 Defensive Stops
36 Total Pressures
5 Sacks
2 Pass Breakups
1 Forced Fumble
1 Penalty

NFL Combine/Pro Day

N/A

Awards

First-team All-SEC (2024)
Second-team All-Big Ten (2023)

Scorecard

Overall- 88.9
Speed- 82
Acceleration- 78
Agility- 80
Strength- 91
Tackling- 84
Pass Rush- 85
Run Defense- 84
Discipline- 96

THE GOOD

• Scourton’s greatest talent is his diverse array of pass-rush moves.
• Has an effective chop, rip, and spin move, allowing him to consistently disrupt opposing offenses.
• He demonstrates solid physicality at the point of attack.
• Effective at utilizing his long arms and has powerful hands to gain leverage against blockers.
• Exhibits good block recognition and positioning, enabling him to effectively engage and shed blockers in run defense.
• Is relentless in pursuit of the ball carrier.
• Scourton maintains a high motor throughout plays, contributing to his effectiveness in both primary and secondary efforts.

THE BAD

• Refining his hand techniques could enhance his ability to disengage from blockers more efficiently.
• Improving his processing speed in identifying and reacting to run plays would bolster his defensive impact.
• Enhancing his initial burst and acceleration can make his pass-rushing more formidable.
• Scourton tends to depend heavily on his spin move during pass-rushing attempts.
• Scourton’s needs to work on his counter moves. His strategy can be all over the place at times.
• Plays with high pad level, which affects his ability to maintain leverage when trying to set the edge.

THE FIT

Scourton is projected as a late first/early second-round pick in this year’s NFL Draft. His versatility allows him to fit as a defensive end in a 4-3 scheme or as an outside linebacker in a 3-4 formation. He’s a powerful edge rusher with a relentless motor and an impressive ability to disrupt plays in both the pass and run game. He showcases a strong combination of hand strength, physicality, and a diverse pass-rush arsenal, making him a consistent backfield presence.

With continued development, particularly in technique and play recognition, Scourton has the potential to become a significant contributor to an NFL defense. He sometimes plays with a high pad level, which can impact his leverage and ability to set the edge against the run. His hand technique, while effective, could be more refined to disengage from blockers quicker. Additionally, his burst off the line and acceleration could use improvement to enhance his pass-rushing effectiveness against top-tier offensive tackles.

Scourton could be a solid fit for the Dallas Cowboys, particularly as a rotational edge rusher and potential long-term replacement for DeMarcus Lawrence. Dallas’ defensive requirements would allow Scourton to line up at defensive end, where his natural power and hand strength could be utilized effectively.

His ability to generate pressure and disrupt plays in the backfield aligns with the Cowboys’ aggressive pass-rushing philosophy. However, he would need to refine his run defense consistency to fit the team’s biggest weakness. With coaching and development, Scourton could thrive as a high-motor pass rusher alongside Micah Parsons, giving Dallas another explosive weapon on defense.

COMPARISON:

Cameron Jordan, New Orleans Saints

BTB GRADE:

40th

CONSENSUS RANKING:

37th
(Consensus ranking based on the average ranking from 90 major scoring services, including BTB)