This is a great honor for Derrick Brown.
Derrick Brown of the Carolina Panthers was ranked the 38th-best defensive player in the league by NFL scout Matt Holder of Bleacher Report.
Holder has Brown one spot ahead of Julian Love of the Seattle Seahawks and one spot behind Cooper DeJean of the Philadelphia Eagles.
"Brown's size and strength pop off the tape when working against the run," Holder wrote. "Not only is the 6'5", 320-pound defender difficult to move, he also tosses offensive linemen out of the way when shedding blocks. As a pass-rusher, his power is apparent with a solid bull-rush and push-pull move. The 2023 Pro Bowler does show some quickness for his size, while adding 28 career passes defended when he doesn't get upfield."
For the Panthers last season, Brown put up 5.0 sacks, 33 solo tackles, five tackles for loss and 11 QB hits. He played in all 17 regular-season games.
Brown enters this season with 13.0 sacks, 169 solo tackles, 33 tackles for loss and 59 QB hits. He was the seventh overall pick in the 2020 draft out of Auburn.
At the end of June, Brown made the NFL Top 100 players list. He came in at No. 90.
"I mean, to be within the top 100 guys in the best football league in the world, you can't hate something like that," Brown said. "But you know, now I just feel so many more team aspirations and so many more personal aspirations like, I'm glad to be a part of it."
The Panthers won the NFC South last season but lost to the Los Angeles Rams at home in the wild-card round of the playoffs. The next step for Carolina is to win a playoff game.
Even though the Panthers won the NFC South title last season, they finished with a sub-.500 record and needed help in Week 18 to win the division. Dave Canales and Co. must prove next season that they didn't just benefit from playing in the league's weakest division.
It will be fascinating to see how Carolina does in 2026. The team will no longer fly under the radar after making the playoffs last season.
