Derrick Brown's NFL Top 100 Rank is Flat Wrong, Doesn't Bode Well for Other Panthers

The NFL Top 100 continues to release rankings as the offseason progresses. These are the offseason player rankings that are exclusively voted on by active NFL players.

Just revealed today, the Carolina Panthers see their second player make the rankings, and he's way too low. Panthers star defensive tackle Derrick Brown was revealed as the No. 90 player on the top 100. This comes as a huge surprise, not cause Brown is on the list, but because he's at No. 90 and is only ranked eight spots above Panthers QB Bryce Young.

No. 90 on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2026…@Panthers DE Derrick Brown! pic.twitter.com/rLQ0rTPMam
— NFL (@NFL) June 29, 2026

Brown has a strong case to be the best player on the entire Panthers roster, and plays an extremely important position as an interior defensive lineman.

NFL.com's Bobby Kownack released his article on the No. 90 and No. 89 players revealed. When giving pro insight on Brown, Kownack pointed out that Brown ranked fourth among defensive tackles in 2025 with 45 tackles that resulted in negative plays for the offense. Top five in a major stat amongst defensive linemen, and Brown is No. 90 in the NFL, makes no sense.

With Brown landing at just 90th overall, it could mean other Panthers might not make the rankings at all.

Panthers Who Now Have No Shot of Making Top 100

Tetairoa McMillan at Panthers Minicamp — Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

With Derrick Brown only at 90, there are other Panthers with zero chance of making the top 100. The first is Tetairoa McMillan. The Offensive Rookie of the Year ideally would make the NFL Top 100, but among Panthers players, McMillan isn't one of the three best players on the roster.

The potential knock on McMillan will likely be that, while he won OROTY, he did so in a rookie class that didn't produce any star QBs and barely eclipsed 1,000 yards. That being said, McMillan is still one of the best young receivers in the NFL, and anyone who watches him play can see the pure talent and route-running ability on display.

Another Panther who likely won't make top 100 now is Mike Jackson. Jackson is one of the most important players on the roster, but the Panthers' second-best corner surely won't be ranked ahead of Derrick Brown, who is one of the better defensive tackles in the NFL.

Carolina's two most important players didn't even crack the top 89 of the rankings, so the pool of Panthers in these rankings could be shallow. There are still two who have a chance, though.

Panthers Who Can Still Make NFL Top 100

Jaycee Horn at the Pro Bow — Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

If there are any chances that more Panthers make the rankings, there are only two logical options. The first being Devin Lloyd, who isn't earning this honor based on the work hes done with Carolina, but is on the roster nonetheless. Lloyd is coming off a career year, earning second-team All-Pro and becoming a first-time Pro Bowler.

DEVIN LLOYD PICK-6!

KCvsJAX on ESPN/ABC
Stream on @NFLPlus and ESPN App pic.twitter.com/kcGT0MZHLr
— NFL (@NFL) October 7, 2025

Lloyd was elite in pass coverage, and finished the year tied for second in interceptions with five. Lloyd should be the highest-ranked Panther on this year's top 100.

The other Panther who has a solid chance to make it and deserves it is outside corner Jaycee Horn. Horn was also selected to the Pro Bowl. 2025 was Horn's second consecutive Pro Bowl appearance, and he was the only Panther selected for last season. Like Devin Lloyd, Horn was tied for the second-most interceptions in the NFL, with five.

There's no reason these two shouldn't make the top 100; the problem is that there's a good case for both of them to be ranked behind Derrick Brown. The other scenario is that there are more Panthers in the rankings than it seems there will be, and the players will just have the order of them completely wrong. Only time will tell.

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