Who Are the Panthers' Top Three Building Blocks?

There are a lot of young, talented players the Panthers plan to build around but there are three players in particular that Pro Football Focus has identified as the main building blocks.

Those players? Quarterback Bryce Young, defensive lineman Derrick Brown, and outside linebacker Brian Burns.

"A rookie No. 1 overall pick will always make lists like these, and Young is no exception. While he can certainly produce early in the shot clock, what makes Young special is what he does when the play breaks down. He earned a 92.2 grade when his time to throw was more than 2.5 seconds in 2022, third in the country, with his 79.1% adjusted completion percentage on such plays ranking second. He’ll have to extend plays and get creative as a rookie while the Panthers look to add more pass-catching weapons over the next few years.

"On defense, Carolina has two cornerstones on the line in edge defender Brian Burns and interior defender Derrick Brown, the latter of whom took a big step in 2022, earning a career-high 84.4 overall grade."

It's hard to argue that this isn't the right three. Obviously, you have to include Young with him being the new face of the franchise and Brian Burns being one of the best pass rushers in the league. Derrick Brown would be my choice for that third spot as well. He's going to be more disruptive in the passing game moving forward in this new defensive scheme and is already one of the better run defenders in the NFL.

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