Panthers draft: Brown must deliver on fully-guaranteed contract

Can Brown live up to his contract?

One doesn’t have to look too hard to see what Derrick Brown brings to the table. The Panthers draft team made him the highest priority after they were thrilled with what they saw from the player during the evaluation process.

Every pick is a risk and sometimes potential does not live up to production. Brown is a high character individual who has plenty of scope for growth. So it is easy to understand why the Panthers have placed so much hope in him to potentially tun their defensive fortunes around.

Giving a young player such a lucrative start to life in the NFL can come with its own complications. The league put this rookie structure in place after extortionate deals involving the likes of JaMarcus Russell did not pan out. This has detrimental implications both for the player and the team itself.

Brown will need a steer in the right direction. So it is vital he has the right sort of people around him to ensure he can focus fully on his game. The Panthers are banking on the defensive tackle to deliver for a defense that will have an entirely different look by the time competitive action gets underway.

The player himself appears driven to reach his ceiling, which is projected to be Pro Bowl-caliber. However, with money comes expectation and it will be up to Brown to convince the Panthers and the wider world that he was more than deserving of the No. 7 pick and all the money coming his way.

The potential is there for all to see and Brown is expected to be a significant part of forcing the tempo in the Panthers new 4-3 base scheme. If he can pull this off from day one, then the financial outlay given to him by the organization is going to be dollars well spent.