Boom or Bust: Derrick Brown

With the seventh overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, the Carolina Panthers selected defensive lineman Derrick Brown out of Auburn.

Rebuilding the defense through the draft was a must after the team focused their attention on the offensive side of the ball throughout free agency. Eight of the eleven Panthers starters on defense are no longer with the team, including several backups. Perhaps the most obvious need heading into the draft? Defensive line. Mario Addison, Vernon Butler, Gerald McCoy, and Dontari Poe all hit the free agency market, which left huge void up front.

On draft night, many questioned the Panthers' selection of Brown and if they got the pick right considering that versatile linebacker Isaiah Simmons was still on the board. Looking back at it, it makes perfect sense. Carolina seems to be set with Shaq Thompson and Tahir Whitehead at linebacker and the need was much larger up front. Having someone to pair alongside Kawann Short will give the Panthers a fierce interior defensive line and they did that by drafting Brown.

So we ask the question: Is Derrick Brown going to be a boom or bust for the Panthers?

I'm going with boom here. There's so much to like about Brown and his impact will be felt immediately on the Panthers defense. Is he going to post ridiculous sack numbers? Probably not, but you can expect opposing offenses to center their attention on he and Short, which will allow for the edge rushers and linebackers to make plays in the backfield.

It isn't too often that you see a defensive tackle become one of the faces of the franchise, but it can happen. Just look at Aaron Donald with the Rams, for example. I don't know if Brown will have the same impact as Donald, but I do believe that he will help the Panthers defense improve dramatically over the next few seasons.

Should he impress early in his career, he could quickly become the new face of the Panthers defense before his rookie contract expires.

Tell us what you think. Do you think Derrick Brown is a boom or bust prospect? Let us know in the comment section below!

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