4 Carolina Panthers players unjustly overlooked for 2023 Pro Bowl

Derrick Brown – Carolina Panthers DT

It wasn’t hard to see the doubts creeping in among some sections of the team’s fanbase surrounding Derrick Brown before the 2022 season began. The defensive tackle was solid if not spectacular over his opening two campaigns, but Year 3 was the time when significant progress was anticipated from someone that was drafted at No. 7 overall.

Any worries about Brown were quashed pretty early on. His convincing performances mean the Carolina Panthers have a highly productive anchor on their defensive front thanks to his incredible emergence into one of the NFL’s best at the position.

Brown’s been nothing short of sensational in 2022. The Auburn product has racked up 56 tackles, six passes defended, one sack, five tackles for loss, seven quarterback hits, 12 pressures, and just two missed tackles from 75 percent of the team’s defensive snaps so far, which represents exceptional consistency from a player that is now considered a core foundational piece in Carolina.

The Walter Payton Man of the Year nominee leads all Panthers players with an 80.6 grade from Pro Football Focus. This is a testament to how Brown’s responded in 2022 and picking up his fifth-year option next spring is a no-brainer.

Although this wasn’t enough to convince fans, players, and coaches he was worthy of Pro Bowl recognition, it does not detract from how important the third-year-pro is to Carolina’s hopes for progress.