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Despite being one of the NFL's most gifted and productive defensive linemen, Carolina Panthers star Derrick Brown has flown under the radar for much of his career. But that may no longer be the case.
The Pro Bowl defender is getting some mainstream recognition heading into his sixth pro campaign. According to the ESPN's annual positional rankings—league executives, coaches and scouts have voted Brown as the fifth-best defensive tackle ahead of the 2026 campaign.
ESPN senior NFL reporter Jeremy Fowler provided this quote from a veteran assistant coach:
"Brown is a force at the line of scrimmage, especially in the run game... We actively ran our running plays completely away from him. That's how good he is. The only reason he's not a household name is that he plays in Carolina."
That sentence about not being a household name is probably true, but it's also rapidly coming to an end. The Panthers got a surprising three prime-time games on their schedule this year, so Brown will have a previously unheard of opportunity to show what he can do in front of a national audience.
Last season, he posted a career-high 5.0 sacks while also plugging the trench for 73 combined tackles. His presence helped the Panthers go from the 32nd-ranked defense in 2024, where he missed 16 of 17 games, to 16th in 2025.
Brown was ranked as high as No. 1 on at least one ballot. Only Leonard Williams of the Seattle Seahawks, Jeffery Simmons of the Tennessee Titans, Jalen Carter of the Philadelphia Eagles and Chris Jones of the Kansas City Chiefs finished higher on ESPN's list.
Follow @ThePanthersWire on Twitter/X for more Panthers content.
This article originally appeared on Panthers Wire: NFL coach says quiet part out loud about Panthers DL Derrick Brown's situation in Carolina
Continue reading...
The Pro Bowl defender is getting some mainstream recognition heading into his sixth pro campaign. According to the ESPN's annual positional rankings—league executives, coaches and scouts have voted Brown as the fifth-best defensive tackle ahead of the 2026 campaign.
ESPN senior NFL reporter Jeremy Fowler provided this quote from a veteran assistant coach:
"Brown is a force at the line of scrimmage, especially in the run game... We actively ran our running plays completely away from him. That's how good he is. The only reason he's not a household name is that he plays in Carolina."
That sentence about not being a household name is probably true, but it's also rapidly coming to an end. The Panthers got a surprising three prime-time games on their schedule this year, so Brown will have a previously unheard of opportunity to show what he can do in front of a national audience.
Last season, he posted a career-high 5.0 sacks while also plugging the trench for 73 combined tackles. His presence helped the Panthers go from the 32nd-ranked defense in 2024, where he missed 16 of 17 games, to 16th in 2025.
Brown was ranked as high as No. 1 on at least one ballot. Only Leonard Williams of the Seattle Seahawks, Jeffery Simmons of the Tennessee Titans, Jalen Carter of the Philadelphia Eagles and Chris Jones of the Kansas City Chiefs finished higher on ESPN's list.
Follow @ThePanthersWire on Twitter/X for more Panthers content.
This article originally appeared on Panthers Wire: NFL coach says quiet part out loud about Panthers DL Derrick Brown's situation in Carolina
Continue reading...
