Canales inherited a unit that gave up a staggering 534 points and the second‑most total yards in league history in 2024.

That avalanche of production against them wasn’t just the product of busted coverages; it started up front. Star tackle Derrick Brown generated interior push, but there was no closer coming off the corner. In free agency the front office added veteran D.J. Wonnum, yet the staff made it clear that a true game‑wrecker would have to arrive via the draft.

Enter Scourton, a 6‑foot‑3, 257‑pound pocket hunter with the versatility to stand up or play with his hand in the dirt. Carolina’s defensive brain trust views him as the first piece of a young, high‑ceiling tandem alongside fellow rookie Princely Umanmielen (No. 77 overall) that can finally cash in the pressures Evero’s scheme so often engineers.

Seeking SEC competition (and the chance to play closer to home) he transferred to College Station for 2024, where he still led the Aggies with 14 tackles for loss and five sacks despite sharing snaps with a loaded front seven.

Those raw numbers only tell part of the story. On film, Scourton’s long‑arm stab and inside countermove consistently softened edges for teammates even when he didn’t record the sack himself. Evaluators dinged him for merely “average” timed agility, but one Panthers scout quipped on draft night that his “second reaction quickness is more important than a three‑cone drill they run in shorts.” Carolina clearly agreed, making Scourton the second Texas A&M player taken on Day 2 and ending a minor slide for a prospect once mocked in the back half of Round 1.

Carolina’s new staff envisions a multiple‑front defense that can jump between even and odd looks without substituting. Scourton’s résumé fits that vision: Purdue stood him up as a SAM linebacker who occasionally dropped into the curl‑flat zone, while Texas A&M asked him to play a more traditional 5‑technique on early downs before kicking outside in pass‑rush situations.

Speed‑change artistry. Scourton’s rush plan is built on pacing; he throttles down mid‑arc to freeze tackles and then re‑accelerates to close. Bleacher Report’s pre‑camp scouting capsule called him the rookie Carolina fans must hope “becomes ‘the guy’ on third downs.”

Run‑game urgency. Critics point to occasional lapses in setting the edge, but tape shows a player who consistently stacks tight ends and spills runs inside. Coaches believe better eye discipline will come with reps.

Defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero (retained by Canales for continuity) loves to blitz defensive backs, but that only works when edge players win their one‑on‑ones. A rookie capable of beating tackles without extra help lets Evero disguise pressure looks without hemorrhaging coverage on the back end.

Coaches limited full‑speed reps, yet observers noted that Scourton’s motor “never shut off” in pursuit drills—a trait that earned smiles from Derrick Brown, who watched from the sideline during one session.

Contractually, the second‑round slot is virtually predetermined under the CBA, and Panthers GM Dan Morgan has said he expects “no drama” in finalizing Scourton’s four‑year deal before training camp. The larger question is usage: will Evero deploy him as a situational closer early, or throw him into an every‑down role opposite Wonnum from the jump?

History says that even elite rookie edge rushers often hover around 6‑8 sacks in Year 1, but scheme and snap volume can accelerate that curve. Consider these points:

Vacant production. Carolina’s departed free‑agent edges combined for 9.5 sacks last season. There is immediate room—and expectation—for a newcomer to lead the team.

Improved complementary pieces. The addition of interior rusher Cam Jackson (Round 5) and veteran run‑stuffer Bobby Brown III should collapse pockets from within, forcing quarterbacks to reverse out toward Scourton’s side.

Bleacher Report labeled Scourton one of the rookies “under the most pressure” heading into training camp, but pressure is precisely what Carolina drafted him to create—on Sundays, against NFC South quarterbacks who watched film last year and circled the Panthers game as a pocket‑clean pocket day.

If Scourton delivers even modest rookie production—say, 7 sacks and 40 total pressures—he transforms a pass rush that has lived at the bottom of the NFL rankings for two straight seasons. If he flashes the ceiling he showed in West Lafayette and College Station, he could do more than shake up Carolina’s edge rotation; he could redefine the defensive identity of a team that hasn’t had a double‑digit sack artist since Brian Burns’ departure.