All Panthers

Panthers' Derrick Brown gets significant recognition for excellent start in 2025

The Carolina Panthers are off to a disappointing start. That hasn't been the case for the team's best defensive player, who looks like a Pro Bowler once again.
Russell Baxter|
Sep 14, 2025; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Carolina Panthers linebacker Trevin Wallace (32) and defensive end Derrick Brown (95) tackle Arizona Cardinals running back James Conner (6) during the third quarter at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-Imagn Images
Sep 14, 2025; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Carolina Panthers linebacker Trevin Wallace (32) and defensive end Derrick Brown (95) tackle Arizona Cardinals running back James Conner (6) during the third quarter at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-Imagn Images | Matt Kartozian-Imagn Images

In this story:

Carolina Panthers

It was a rough September for Dave Canales’s team. The Carolina Panthers won their only home game, a surprising 30-0 victory over the Atlanta Falcons. The club is 0-3 on the road, outscored a combined 95-45 in losses to the Jaguars, Cardinals, and Patriots. The team looks to get back on track this Sunday against the visiting Dolphins.

Believe it or not, there have been a few bright spots—the biggest being the team’s top defensive performer.

Gordon McGuinness of Pro Football Focus has assembled his NFL First-Quarter All-Pro Team four weeks into the 2025 season. There are both first-team and second-team selections. When it comes to interior defenders, the first-team choices are New York Jets’ standout Quinnen Williams and Pittsburgh Steelers’ veteran Cameron Heyward.

In terms of the second-team choices at this spot, one is a six-year veteran looking to rebound from a forgettable 2024 season.

Derrick Brown
Sep 7, 2025; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Carolina Panthers defensive end Derrick Brown (95) against the Jacksonville Jaguars at EverBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Morgan Tencza-Imagn Images | Morgan Tencza-Imagn Images

Panthers’ defensive stalwart Derrick Brown enjoyed a breakout year in 2023, totaling 103 tackles on his way to being named to his first Pro Bowl. A year later in Week 1 at New Orleans, he went down with a season-ending knee injury. The 2024 Panthers’ defense was a horror show, allowing the most total yards in the league, which included an embarrassing 179.8 yards per game on the ground. Canales’s team surrendered 534 points, the most in a single season in NFL annals.

Four weeks into 2025, Ejiro Evero’s unit hasn’t looked like world beaters, but some progress has been made. Carolina ranks 19th in total defense and 23rd vs. the run. As for Brown, he’s currently PFF’s fourth-ranked interior defender behind Cleveland’s Maliek Collins, Heyward, and Williams, respectively. It’s significant to note that when it comes to stopping the run, Brown’s 78.9 grade ranks sixth among interior defenders.

In terms of the Panthers, the six-year veteran ranks seventh on his team with 13 tackles, to go along with a pair of quarterback hits and two passes defensed. Brown offers hope for a defense and a team that has yet to find its rhythm in 2025.

 - Enjoy more free Panthers coverage with Carolina Panthers on SI - 

Carolina Panthers announce more bad injury news among 9 roster moves

Dismal Bryce Young stat raises questions about future with Panthers

NFL evaluator shares brutally honest take on Bryce Young's performance

Panthers have 2 of the NFL's top 15 rookies, one’ a pleasant surprise

Published
Russell Baxter
RUSSELL BAXTER

Russell S. Baxter has been writing and researching the game of football for more than 40 years, and on numerous platforms. That includes television, as he spent more than two decades at ESPN, and was part of shows that garnered five Emmy Awards. He also spent the 2015 NFL season with Thursday Night Football on CBS/NFLN.