4 Panthers players the team must build around for 2021 success
By Dean Jones
Derrick Brown – Carolina Panthers DT
There isn’t any doubt that the Carolina Panthers made the right pick when they took Derrick Brown at No. 7 overall in the 2020 NFL Draft. The defensive tackle had a number of questions heading into a professional environment despite standing out considerably at Auburn and many of the team’s fanbase wanted the organization to select Isaiah Simmons following the retirement of Luke Kuechly.
However, it was always going to be Brown.
He left a significant impression on head coach Matt Rhule during the evaluation process. But what the Panthers got from Brown during his rookie year was enormously encouraging.
Despite being one of the most double-teamed interior defensive linemen in the entire league, Brown made a real difference and quashed the doubts about his ability to generate consistent pressure in opposing backfields as the season went on. Once his run-stopping develops with more experience, the sky is the limit.
Having Brown and Brian Burns on the defensive line is an opportunity Carolina cannot afford to miss. They must build around both potential studs to make sure they don’t waste their exceptional talents in the coming years and Phil Snow’s unit isn’t far off from being a formidable defense with some extra reinforcements this spring.