The Commanders are looking for the best talent in the 2025 NFL draft, and might have to stay with pick 29 if they can’t find any trade partners to move back and collect more picks. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, though, with a likely chance that a top talent falls to the Commanders at 29, and it could also fill a major need on the roster, including this overlooked prospect.
Washington filled the roster in free agency at many positions, but still lack a high-end pass rusher and run-stopper on the defensive line. Defensive end Nic Scourton from Texas A&M could be the missing piece, and doesn’t get enough attention as a real possibility at 29. Scourton broke onto the scene as a premier college football player in the Big Ten in 2023, recording eight sacks, six hits, and 28 hurries with a 21.2% pass rush win rate with Purdue.
The breakout season turned Scourton into a hot commodity in the transfer portal, ultimately landing him in the SEC with Texas A&M. 2024 saw a dropoff in production numbers, with only four sacks, but the film shows that he’s still a high-end player. The Aggies’ defensive scheme didn’t help with production for Scourton or fellow first-round talent Shemar Stewart.
Nic Scourton is the youngest edge-rushing prospect in the draft, and he still has more to add to his game to make him an even more polished player. Make no mistake about his current skill-set, though, Nic is a versatile pass-rusher who can line up with his hand in the dirt as a 4i-tech defensive end, all the way out to a 9-tech outside linebacker. Scourton has already been working on returning to his natural size, and weighed in at 257 pounds after being listed at 280 at Texas A&M to fit the scheme.
Scourton is the type of player that Dan Quinn can utilize as a run-stopper with a 7.3% run-stop rate. This would allow him to get back to showing off his pass-rushing skill sets with his finesse spin moves and bull rushes to get to the quarterback. At only 20 years old, this is a player with elite hands who can continue to get better in the NFL and could be a franchise piece for years to come in Washington if he’s drafted with pick 29.