Panthers preseason: 3 matchups to watch in Ravens clash
By Dean Jones
Derrick Brown vs Mark Ingram
The Carolina Panthers preseason schedule will be a great way for their No. 7 overall pick Derrick Brown to adjust in a new environment. The team is counting on the first-rounder to improve their fortunes stopping the run in 2020. So the game against the Ravens will give the organization a good yardstick in relation to what they can expect in the short-term.
Baltimore has the most frightening running attack in the NFL. This is led by league MVP Lamar Jackson and former New Orleans Saint Mark Ingram, who formed a devastating tandem in 2019 that ultimately fell short in the playoffs.
Ingram was a high-profile signing in free agency and provides the franchise with a downhill runner they sorely needed. He is a force rushing between the tackles and this could see plenty of contact between himself and Brown during the first half of the game.
Brown was a stout run-stuffer in college with Auburn and is a prominent figure when it comes to eating up space. While his stats might not jump off the page, the player was double-teamed on almost every play and is expected to have more space to work in at the next level alongside returning veteran Kawann Short.
He will have his hands full trying to stop Ingram, who is renowned for being a difficult player to bring to the ground. This Panthers preseason game against the Ravens comes as a perfect time for Brown, which will likely be the final game time he sees before week one.