Jaelan Phillips & Nic Scourton Are Wildly Underrated as Panthers’ Edge Duo

There’s a ranking of the Top 10 pass-rushing duos in the NFL. No Panthers were found on the list, but the team’s new-look starting tandem may be lying in wait.

Nov 16, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Jaelan Phillips (50) against the Detroit Lions at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images | Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

You can certainly understand the skepticism. Dating back to 2023, no team in the National Football League has amassed fewer sacks than the Carolina Panthers. There was an NFL-low 27 QB traps in ’23, slight improvement the following season (32), and then a little fall off in ’25 when the team totaled only 30 sacks.

Rushing the passer has been the Panthers’ albatross in recent seasons

Nov 30, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford (9) is sacked by Carolina Panthers defensive end Derrick Brown (95) during the fourth quarter at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Kinser-Imagn Images | Scott Kinser-Imagn Images

Do the math and this team has dropped opposing signal-callers a combined 89 times in their last 51 regular-season contests. In terms of perspective, the Denver Broncos have led the league in this category each of the past two years. Sean Payton’s defender have racked up a stunning 131 sacks in their last 34 regular-season contests.

In a recent ranking of the top pass-rushing tandems in the NFL, the Houston Texans’ tandem of Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter own the top spot thanks to Gary Davenport of Bleacher Report. As you go down the list, you won’t find any members of Dave Canales’s club and Ejiro Evero’s defense. Given the numbers from the past three seasons, it would have been quite a shock to see a duo from the defending NFC South champions’ defensive unit in Davenport's Top 10.

Carolina Panthers’ pass rush has a new 1-2 punch

Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

However, Carolina’s pass rush may be on the verge of bigger and better things thanks to a pair of defenders that will be teaming up for the first time. This offseason, Panthers’ general manager Dan Morgan gave one-time Miami Dolphins’ first-round pick Jaelan Phillips a four-year deal. A year ago, Morgan used a second-round pick in the draft to secure the services of Texas A&M’s Nic Scourton.

During his rookie campaign, the former Aggie tied for the team lead with Derrick Brown with five sacks. He played in all 17 games and made eight starts. His nine quarterback hits were second on the team behind Brown (11). Meanwhile’ Phillips’s two best seasons in terms of production came in his first two years in Miami. He notched 8.5 sacks in 2021, followed by seven QB traps a season later. Then came the injuries as Phillips missed a combined 22 regular-season contests from 2023-24.

Edge rusher Jaelan Phillips remained healthy in 2025

Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

Then came this past season. Between the Dolphins (9) and Philadelphia Eagles (8), he played in all 17 games, as well as the Birds’ playoff tilt with the San Francisco 49ers. There were a combined 53 tackles, five sacks, a forced fumble, two fumble recoveries and four pass deflections.

Of course, the presence of Brown up front should make life easier for this tandem. And if 2026 second-round interior terror Lee Hunter can make an immediate impact, the Charlotte law firm of Phillips and Scourton could be an immediate hit.