PFF Ranks Derrick Brown as NFL's 4th-Best Defensive Lineman
When you go 2-15, it's not that surprising to see just one of your players be mentioned in Pro Football Focus' top 101 players. For the Carolina Panthers, defensive lineman Derrick Brown was the lone representative checking in at No. 36.
"Brown was historically disruptive along the defensive line for the Panthers in 2023. He led all interior defenders in defensive stops (53) and solo tackles by PFF’s count (73). His PFF run-defense grade was an elite 90.0, and he missed only five tackles all season." - Sam Monson, PFF.
I'd argue that Brown should be ranked at least in the top 25, maybe even top 20. He was arguably the best interior defensive lineman in the league. You could put Quinnen Williams, Chris Jones, or Aaron Donald ahead of him but in my opinion, he was the most valuable asset to his team's defense. He was active, setting the record for most tackles by a defensive tackle with 103 while setting a career high in QB hits (15).
The production wasn't quite to the level we're are used to seeing, but I'm surprised Brian Burns didn't land somewhere on the back end of this list. More surprising is not seeing Frankie Luvu on here, who was once again one of the league's best linebackers tallying 125 tackles, 11 QB hits, 10 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks, and five passes defended.
