4 Carolina Panthers players finally realizing their potential in 2022

Derrick Brown – Carolina Panthers DT

There was an untold amount of pressure on Derrick Brown in 2022. The defensive tackle flashed true greatness over his opening two seasons with the Carolina Panthers, but fans and analysts alike were demanding more consistency from someone with all the physical attributes imaginable.

It was a rough start for Brown in Week 1 against the Cleveland Browns. But he wasn’t alone in that regard and what came next propelled the lineman into one of the league’s most formidable players at the position.

Brown is shifting the line of scrimmage with supreme force. His tackling has come on leaps and bounds, with his production showing no signs of slowing despite having to cope with double teams on almost every down.

The former Auburn stud is proving once again that defensive linemen should be properly evaluated in Year 3 and not a moment before unless they are way off the pace. Brown is a Pro Bowl or better talent and is now playing like it, so picking up his fifth-year option has gone from a question to an absolute no-brainer.

If Brown continues developing his craft, then anything is possible. And make no mistake, the Panthers made the correct call at No. 7 overall in the 2020 NFL Draft.