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Why Texas A&M DE Nic Scourton fits Lions in mock draft: Follow Eagles' Super Bowl blueprint
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- Why Texas A&M DE Nic Scourton fits Lions in mock draft: Follow Eagles' Super Bowl blueprint
You saw what the Philadelphia Eagles did.
Even if you were boycotting the Super Bowl , still too hurt from the Detroit Lions' playoff collapse to tune in to the biggest game of the NFL season, you know what the Philadelphia Eagles and their vaunted pass rush did to Patrick Mahomes .
Oct 26, 2024; College Station, Texas, USA; Texas A&M Aggies defensive lineman Nic Scourton (11) defends in coverage against LSU Tigers offensive tackle Will Campbell (66) during the fourth quarter. The Aggies defeated the Tigers 38-23; at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images.
Six sacks. Eleven quarterback hits. A 38.1% pressure rate (that was significantly higher before the game got out of hand). And three forced turnovers that led to 17 points in one of the most lopsided Super Bowls we've seen this millennium.
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The Eagles harassed Mahomes and kept the Kansas City Chiefs from becoming the first ever three-peat champion with a pass rush that came in waves. Josh Sweat . Jalen Carter . Milton Williams . Nolan Smith. Brandon Graham . Jordan Davis.
All of them homegrown defensive linemen who were so dominant the Eagles did not have to send an extra rusher a single time. (Philadelphia blitzed linebacker Zack Baun on occasion, but dropped one of its front four defenders into coverage when it did.)
More: NFL mock draft 1.0: Detroit Lions take pass rusher in Round 1 to help Aidan Hutchinson
The Eagles have the best running back in the NFL and the best offensive line in football (sorry, Lions fans). They have a balanced offense that can win on the ground and through the air.
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But the blueprint they used to beat the best quarterback of this generation is one that's stood the test of time in the NFL. Defense still can win championships so long as the pass rush gets home at a high rate.
That's as big a reason as any why I gave Texas A&M defensive end Nic Scourton to the Lions in my first mock draft.
Scourton fits the profile of what the Lions are looking for in defensive ends. He's big at 6-foot-4 and 280 pounds. He projects as a plus run defender because of the power he plays with on the edge. He doesn't take plays off.
Nov 30, 2024; College Station, Texas, USA; Texas A&M Aggies defensive lineman Nic Scourton (11) and linebacker Taurean York (21) tackle Texas Longhorns wide receiver DeAndre Moore Jr. (0) during the first half. The Longhorns defeated the Aggies 17-7 at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images
And while he had modest sack production last season at Texas A&M – Scourton finished with five sacks and 14 tackles for loss – he led the Big Ten with 10 sacks during his final season at Purdue in 2023 and would have the luxury in Detroit of playing opposite Aidan Hutchinson .
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The Lions already have a cornerstone pass rusher in Hutchinson, one of the best defensive ends in football. Hutchinson was off to a Defensive Player of the Year-type start when he broke his leg last October and should be back on the field for Week 1 this fall.
What they need, what they tried to build before injuries foiled their plans last year – and what the Eagles won with – is depth.
Along with Hutchinson, the Lions have a solid core of defensive linemen under contract for 2025: Alim McNeill , who's coming off his own season-ending injury; DJ Reader and Mekhi Wingo at defensive tackle; and Za'Darius Smith and Josh Paschal at defensive end.
Marcus Davenport is a free agent. Levi Onwuzurike , John Cominsky and Al-Quadin Muhammad , too. And while any or all of those players could return, that's not enough to get through the year, let alone what it means for the future.
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More: Ranking Detroit Lions free agents on defense: Who is most important to re-sign?
Brad Holmes noted after the season how hard it was to find pass rush help at the trade deadline.
"You start calling these other teams and these other GMs and they might have four rushers. And so, forget the starters, those guys aren't even available," Holmes said. "We're talking about thirds and fourths, and I can't really disagree with them when they say, 'Look, we've got two-plus months of football left and I trade you one and then we get another one hurt and then we've only got two."
I'm of the belief the Lions should go all in to acquire a star pass rusher to play opposite Hutchinson this offseason. Myles Garrett is the big name defensive end currently on the trade block, but Maxx Crosby is the real apple of Holmes' eye – Holmes has inquired about Crosby's availability each of the past two years – and the player I'd target if I were the Lions.
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But the likelihood of that happening is remote, and in the absence of a major trade, the only way to build depth on the defensive line is through the draft.
As luck has it, this year's draft projects to be incredibly deep at both the interior and edge positions. Draft analyst Todd McShay, formerly of ESPN and now with the Ringer, said on his podcast this week he gave 37 edge/interior defensive players top three-round grades this year, compared with an average of 23 the past three drafts.
That's a lot of talent up front, and it's something the Lions need to take advantage of.
Penn State's Abdul Carter and Michigan's Mason Graham are the best defensive linemen in the draft and certain top 10 picks, but it's taster's choice at the position after that. Georgia's Mykel Williams , Marshall's Mike Green, Tennessee 's James Pearce Jr. and Mississippi's Walter Nolen are among the other linemen I have going in the first round.
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Maybe one of those players falls to the Lions at Pick No. 28, and if they do, I'd take them in an instant.
If they don't, Scourton should be there when the Lions are on the clock, and he'd check a lot of boxes as a long-term fit at the most important non-quarterback position in football.
Dave Birkett is the author of the book, " Detroit Lions : An Illustrated Timeline." Order your copy here. Contact him at dbirkett@freepress.com . Follow him on Bluesky, X and Instagram at @davebirkett.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Why I picked Texas A&M DE Nic Scourton to Lions in mock draft
