Mina Kimes names overlooked x-factor for Panthers' all-time awful run defense

Derrick Brown couldn't have fielded a decent run defense all on his own, but he would have made a huge difference.

Oct 9, 2022; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Panthers defensive tackle Derrick Brown (95) reacts to the final seconds of the game against the San Francisco 49ers at Bank of America Stadium. | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

In the ultimate team sport, pretty much every element of the game is a total team effort. That said, there are some departments that are more dependent on the team than others. Defending the run is probably at the top of that list, as the Carolina Panthers proved time and time again last season as they allowed the most yards in the league on the ground by a wide margin.

That said, one big reason why the Panthers were so hopeless against the run last year was the absence of their best run defender. Derrick Brown went down with a season-ending knee injury after Week 1, and the rest of Carolina's interior rotation was quickly exposed as the worst in the league - beginning a domino reaction that ended with the Panthers ranking as the worst scoring defense in NFL history.

Here's ESPN analyst Mina Kimes breaking down just how bad Carolina's run D was, and how a healthy Derrick Brown could have made a big difference.

The Panthers allowed 5.2 yds/carry last year.

Essentially, they turned every offense into the Eagles.

Talked about why Derrick Brown is the X-Factor for a team that *should* be better on both sides of the ball...

🎧: https://t.co/3YGfNwYU9W

📺: https://t.co/J1IWHzOFZ7 pic.twitter.com/KrCtXC8w09

— Mina Kimes (@minakimes) June 5, 2025

Getting Brown back in the lineup will definitely help, as will adding guys like Turk Wharton and Bobby Brown to the rotation.

However, as the conversation alludes to, part of the solution here has to come from defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero, who might want to run fewer light boxes and embrace the personnel he has rather than the personnel he'd like to have. Switching to a 4-3 base is a popular idea and something he has to at least consider.

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