Chicago Bears NFL Draft Target: Nic Scourton

Kirby Lee - USA Today Sports

Dustin Riese - Senior Writer - 12 hours ago

It's clear that Chicago Bears new Head Coach, Ben Johnson, has a vision for his team. Johnson wants to have one of the more talented teams assembled and be as physical as possible.

That all starts with getting more physical in the trenches, as that area of the team has been an issue for several years. You started to see the Bears address the trenches on the offensive side of the ball in free agency as they traded for a pair of free-agent offensive linemen while signing another in free agency.

The Bears also added some much-needed defensive help to improve not only in the trenches but also in the pass-rushing side of things, as Montez Sweat has been their main pass rusher for several seasons. If adding to the trenches or, at the very least, improving their pass rush remains a goal for this team, why not target Nic Scourton in the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft?

A former Texas A&M product, the EDGE rusher is seen as a day-two talent but has been graded out as a day-one prospect in some mock drafts. The 20-year-old Scourton may be considered a Raw talent when you look at his age and how much time he has been on the field, but when you look at his measurables, you can see why there is plenty of upside surrounding him.

Not only does he pose an intimidating stature at 6-4, but at 285 pounds, he is one of the bigger Edge rushers in this class, which bodes well for the NFL game. Coming off a down season where he had just five sacks with the Aggies, Scourton is one of those long-term plays as he wouldn't be asked to do too much as a rookie.

On the other hand, you have to look at his potential as a player. With 16 career sacks in college, including a career-best 10 sacks in 2023, you can see the overall upside and what he could bring to the table. When you look at the overall depth on the defensive side, Scourton can be a guy the Bears plug in when needed. They hope he makes plays for defensive coordinator Dennis Allen, who will surely unlock his potential.

Although he is considered a row talent compared to some of the other players at his position, his overall physical ability from one play to the next makes him a player who can wreak havoc on any down. He plays with adequate hustle and range in pursuit and hits runners with heavy pads. He’s an eclectic rusher with a mature rush plan and rarely shows opponents the same look on consecutive plays.

While he may not outrun you to the outside when trying to get to the edge, he has a way of making plays due to a wide range of fitness moves that he has in his back pocket. Scourton’s size, demeanor, and rush talent give him a chance to become a productive three-down starter off the edge, and that alone is why he started to see plenty of double teams last season.

That alone is why his production was down from where it was in 2023, as teams started to pay more attention to him than in seasons past. That is something to keep an eye on once he makes the league, as teams are going to have to figure out how to guard him without paying too much attention to him across the board.

Looking at the NFL landscape and all the players currently in the league, Scourton is generating some pretty big player comparisons, with Trey Hendrickson being the biggest of them all. The All-Pro Cincinnati Bengal has been among the league leaders in sacks the past few seasons, so being compared to him and his style of play is worth noting.