The Carolina Panthers have always had a thing for defensive linemen. From Mike Rucker to Julius Peppers to Charles Johnson, the team’s identity has long been built on trench warfare. That legacy found new life when Brian Burns arrived in 2019, armed with unteachable bend and a lightning-quick first step. For five seasons, Burns was the guy offenses schemed against—Carolina’s twitchy pass-rushing nightmare off the edge.
Then he was gone.
Burns was traded to the Giants in a move that might've come a year too late, but left a massive hole on Carolina’s defensive front. Nic Scourton looks to fill the need for the Panthers.
A second-round pick out of Texas A&M, Scourton doesn’t look like a carbon copy of Burns. He doesn’t move like him either. But don’t let the stylistic differences fool you. There’s a real chance the Panthers found a new long-term edge presence—just one built more like a freight train than a Ferrari.
Burns vs. Scourton: Different Mold, Same Blueprint
Brian Burns was drafted in the first round because of traits—elite speed, ankle-flexing bend, and enough raw potential to fill a PlayStation loading bar. He wasn’t a finished product coming out of Florida State. Scouts questioned his weight. He needed to improve hand technique. But the upside was too juicy to pass up.
Scourton? He’s the inverse in some ways. The former Purdue standout (who transferred to Texas A&M) has a compact, dense frame at 6'3", 260 pounds. He’s not going to win a 40-yard dash against Burns anytime soon, but he’s got that violent hands-and-leverage combo that bullies offensive tackles off the edge. His pass-rush style leans more toward power and spin counters than speed and bend.
Still, both were viewed through a similar lens: toolsy edge guys who, with the right coaching, could become monsters.
“Get this guy in the building, develop his technique, and he could become a major problem for offenses.”
That quote might’ve applied to Burns in 2019—but it works just as well for Scourton in 2025.
The Burns-Sized Hole in Carolina’s Defense
Let’s not sugarcoat it: losing Brian Burns hurts. He had 46 sacks in five seasons and was arguably the face of the franchise’s post-Luke Kuechly defense. There’s no one-for-one replacement for what he brought as a pass-rusher who could also chase down runs from the backside and cover the flats when needed.
That said, the Panthers didn’t punt on edge talent in the draft. Instead, they double-dipped—grabbing Nic Scourton and Ole Miss's Prince Umanmielen in back-to-back rounds. Early returns from OTAs suggest some favor Scourton with the most potential upside.
While he might not offer the same twitch as Burns, Scourton brings a different flavor of disruption—the kind that wears linemen down over four quarters. Think of him less like a chainsaw, but a sledgehammer, that'll just wear you down.
Positional Versatility in a Hybrid League
One of the reasons Scourton stood out to scouts? Versatility.
In an NFL increasingly obsessed with hybrid defenders, Scourton checks all the boxes. He’s shown he can rush with his hand in the dirt, stand up in a 3-4 look, and drop into coverage when needed. That flexibility could make him a valuable chess piece in new DC Ejiro Evero’s scheme—a coach who thrives on disguising pressure and creating mismatches.
“He might not rack up 14 sacks a year, but he’ll make your right tackle think about retirement by Thanksgiving.”
Scourton doesn’t have to be Brian Burns to be effective. He just has to be himself—and maybe that’s enough to give Carolina a new tone-setter on the edge.
What the Panthers Are Really Betting On
They’re not betting on day-one dominance. They’re betting on trajectory.
Much like Burns, who needed time to develop into an every-down terror, Scourton arrives with a toolkit waiting to be sharpened. His hand usage is ahead of schedule. His bull rush is a legitimate weapon. What he lacks in flash, he makes up for in force.
If Scourton can continue to grow—developing his counters, adding a finesse element to his game—he might not just “replace” Burns. He could evolve into his own kind of menace.
And for a team in transition, that might be the best-case scenario.
Bottom line: Burns left a void. Scourton might not be the same type of rusher, but he has the makeup, mentality, and motor to make an impact of his own. And if the Panthers’ coaching staff plays their cards right, they may have just found their "Big Joker" in their pass-rushing lineage.