Analyst implores Panthers to make trade to help surging rookie

The Carolina Panthers still need a lot of help, that much was made abundantly clear last week. After an utter dismantling at the hands of the Buffalo Bills, the holes were made glaringly obvious once again. Even some areas that weren't holes looked like holes.

The Panthers addressed a ton of their issues in the offseason, particularly with a stellar draft. Some of the rookies have really shown out this year. One in particular, according to one NFL insider, is in desperate need of some help.

Panthers need to get Nic Scourton some help

A few Carolina Panthers rookies are off to an elite start. Tetairoa McMillan is a strong Rookie of the Year contender. Mitchell Evans boasts the highest PFF grade of any rookie in the entire NFL. Nic Scourton has been a very solid pass-rusher, and it's him that the Panthers must help.

"The run defense -- which had enjoyed a turnaround this season -- came crashing back to earth against Buffalo. However, the pass rush remains the biggest concern," Kevin Patra argued. "The Panthers generated just eight QB pressures in Sunday's loss to the Bills, with a single quick pressure coming from inside linebacker Trevin Wallace. If the Panthers are to cling to waning playoff hopes, they need a running mate for rookie Nic Scourton."

Scourton has been very solid, especially of late. He is currently the best edge rusher the Panthers have, with DJ Wonnum being mediocre and Pat Jones going down for the season. Princely Umanmielen has shown flashes, but he's not been a consistent performer. Last week, he was the worst-graded player on the field per PFF.

It's probably not a great idea to go after this now, though. While players like Jaelan Phillips and Trey Hendrickson might be available, the Panthers aren't good enough yet to make a move in-season. They should probably wait.

They need the assets they'd inevitably have to part with to get an edge rusher at the deadline, and with a brutal second-half schedule, it may be all for naught. It would be smarter to attack the issue(s) in the offseason, mainly through the draft again.

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