Roundtable: Just How Good Can Derrick Brown be in 2021?
The Carolina Panthers selected defensive tackle, Derrick Brown, with the 7th overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft and albeit a small sample size, it looks like the Panthers got it right. Brown looks the part and could develop into one of the best interior defensive linemen in the game. How much better will he be in year two? Our staff shares their thoughts.
Schuyler Callihan:
I really liked what I saw from Derrick Brown during his rookie season. You can tell that he's going to evolve into a special player that will be a dominant force up front for years to come. This isn't much of a bold statement considering he was the 7th overall pick a year ago but I truly believe Brown could have the best year of any 2nd-year defensive player in the NFL. He has some help inside now with DaQuan Jones and with other veterans being added to the mix such as Haason Reddick and Morgan Fox, Brown should elevate his game to the next level. If I had to predict what his numbers will look like at the end of the season, I'm going to go with 48 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, and five sacks.
Blake Johnson:
Brown showed flashes in his rookie season. Finishing with 34 combined tackles, 8 of which for a loss, Derrick showed his ability to play the run game quite well. Where I would like to see him take a leap is in his pash rush. After posting a modest 2 sacks in 2020, Brown has a chance to build upon that number in 2021. With the addition of another solid pass rusher in Haason Reddick, Brown should have free reign up the middle with Burns firing from the opposite side. If Brown can develop his pass-rushing abilities, this Panthers pass rush could rank near the top in the league.
Josh Altorfer:
Derrick Brown needs to be a force for the Panthers' defense to reach their full potential. He doesn’t necessarily always need to show up in the stat sheet in order to have an impact. Brian Burns and Haason Reddick will handle getting to the quarterback. Brown just needs to stuff the A gaps and let the edge rushers do their thing. A full offseason program should tremendously help the young defensive tackle going into year two.
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