The young Carolina Panthers may be growing before our eyes.
Fresh off his team’s first victory of the 2025 season, head coach Dave Canales took the lectern on Monday to speak with reporters and put a cap on Week 3. He was asked about the progress of Carolina’s rookies, and proceeded to single out one particular youngster for his work thus far.
Advertisement
“Yeah, I’m really just proud of the way they’re developing and they’re working,” Canales replied. “I think about just picking one guy, Nic Scourton—who really just, he works his butt off in practice. And he gives everything he has, he’s taking the coaching and the principles. And is it perfect? No. But he learns lessons and he continues to stack lessons, and I can say that, generally, for our young group.
“They’re taking the challenges the right way. They’re taking coaching. And it’s a trust factor thing, ya know? And the trust level will continue to grow with these guys as they show us we can count on them to get in there and execute.”
Sunday’s 30-0 victory over the Atlanta Falcons saw Scourton, the Panthers’ 2025 second-round pick, record his first career start while notching a season-high 56 defensive snaps. The 21-year-old outside linebacker went on to tally his first two NFL pressures and first two stops in the triumph.
Other Panthers rookies who also experienced new career-highs in snaps include third-round pass rusher Princely Umanmielen (34), fourth-round safety Lathan Ransom (34), fifth-round defensive lineman Cam Jackson (seven) and undrafted cornerback Corey Thornton (seven).
Follow @ThePanthersWire on Twitter/X for more Panthers content.
This article originally appeared on Panthers Wire: Panthers HC Dave Canales praises OLB Nic Scourton after 1st NFL start