Tag: Derrick Brown

Panthers projected depth chart heading into 2024 training camp

You may want to keep this projected depth chart handy ahead of the Panthers’ 2024 training camp.

Summer break is nearly over for the Carolina Panthers.

On Friday, rookies will report back to Charlotte for the start of this year’s training camp. They’ll be followed by the veterans after the weekend, who will be in right before the first outing of practice on Wednesday.

But what do the team’s pecking orders look like across the program as of now?

Here is our full projected depth chart for Carolina’s current 90-man roster heading into camp:

Offense:

1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th
QB Bryce Young Andy Dalton Jack Plummer
RB Chuba Hubbard Miles Sanders Jonathon Brooks Raheem Blackshear Rashaad Penny Mike Boone Jaden Shirden
WR Diontae Johnson Jonathan Mingo David Moore Cam Sims Sam Pinckney
WR Xavier Legette Terrace Marshall Jr. Michael Strachan Jalen Coker Daewood Davis
SWR Adam Thielen Ihmir Smith-Marsette
TE Tommy Tremble Ian Thomas Stephen Sullivan Ja’Tavion Sanders Jordan Matthews
LT Ikem Ekwonu Yosh Nijman Ricky Lee Jeremiah Crawford
LG Damien Lewis Cade Mays
C Austin Corbett Brady Christensen Andrew Raym
RG Robert Hunt Chandler Zavala Nash Jensen J.D. DiRenzo
RT Taylor Moton Badara Traore Christian Duffie

Defense:

1st 2nd 3rd 4th
DE Derrick Brown LaBryan Ray T.J. Smith Junior Aho
DT Shy Tuttle Nick Thurman Ulumoo Ale
DE A’Shawn Robinson Jaden Crumedy Popo Aumavae
OLB Jadeveon Clowney K’Lavon Chaisson Amaré Barno Eku Leota Derrick McLendon
ILB Shaq Thompson Trevin Wallace Chandler Wooten Claudin Cherelus
ILB Josey Jewell Tae Davis Michael Barrett Jackson Mitchell
OLB D.J. Wonnum DJ Johnson Cam Gill Luiji Vilain Kenny Dyson Jr.
CB Jaycee Horn D’Shawn Jamison Lamar Jackson
CB Dane Jackson Dicaprio Bootle Willie Drew
SS Xavier Woods Jammie Robinson Sam Franklin Jr. Demani Richardson Clayton Isbell
FS Jordan Fuller Nick Scott Alex Cook
NCB Troy Hill Chau Smith-Wade

Special teams:

1st 2nd
K Eddy Piñeiro Harrison Mevis
P Johnny Hekker
LS JJ Jansen
KR Raheem Blackshear Ihmir Smith-Marsette Xavier Legette
PR Ihmir Smith-Marsette Xavier Legette

[lawrence-related id=699790,699735,699659]

Panthers’ Derrick Brown ranked as 7th-best DT by NFL execs, coaches, scouts

Are there six defensive tackles better than Carolina’s Derrick Brown?

Derrick Brown now has another number to add alongside his name.

ESPN senior NFL reporter Jeremy Fowler polled league executives, coaches and scouts in compiling a list of the game’s top 10 defensive tackles. Brown, who found a spot on the honorable mention section last summer, reps the Carolina Panthers at No. 7.

Fowler writes:

Brown was a menace in the middle for the Panthers, leading the league with a 47% run stop win rate.

While the sack production isn’t there — Brown has eight sacks in four years — the disruption very much is. Carolina decided to build the defense around him instead of pass-rusher Brian Burns, who was traded to the Giants

“You feel him more than you see the sack numbers,” a veteran NFL scout said of Brown. “When you play him and watch him, he’s really good. Wouldn’t surprise me if he has more sacks in the future. Carolina is always losing in games, so teams don’t throw the ball as much on them late.”

Brown set a single-season NFL record for defensive linemen in 2023, amassing 103 tackles. His historic campaign led to his first Pro Bowl selection, as he replaced the now-retired and future Hall of Famer Aaron Donald on the NFC squad.

That season also led to a four-year, $96 million extension for Brown—tying him with New York’s Quinnen Williams as the fourth-highest paid player at the position. Williams was amongst the six players who finished higher than Brown, who polled as high as No. 2 and as low as No. 10, on Fowler’s list.

[lawrence-related id=698027,695089,695081]

NFL analyst predicts Panthers’ MVP for 2024 season

BY or DB for MVP?

The most valuable player of any football team is almost always its quarterback. And with Bryce Young prepared to attack his second pro campaign with a revamped offensive line, a few more capable weapons and an exciting new head coach, he should be the favorite for the Carolina Panthers in said honor . . . right?

Not so fast.

NFL.com lead draft writer Eric Edholm recently predicted the MVPs for each team ahead of the 2024 season. While he was a tad tempted by Young, Edholm ultimately went with the dominant defensive tackle Derrick Brown:

A hopeful soul might go with Bryce Young here, and I do think Young eventually will grow into a successful, front-line role with this team. But that still requires a tad too much faith for me right now, even with the seeming improvements the Panthers have made on offense this offseason. I can’t quite envision a Trevor Lawrence-like jump from Year 1 to Year 2 for Young at this stage, even if he figures to be better this season under Dave Canales.

Brown is understandably an atypical selection based on his position, but when you’re talking about a team coming off a 2-15 season with no established offensive stars, it becomes a little easier to embrace. I also suggest watching some of what Brown did last season because I think Carolina’s nightmare season cloaked what was a mostly dominant showcase, topping 100 tackles(!) and averaging nearly one QB hit per game despite near-constant double teams. The only two interior defenders who played more snaps than Brown last season were Chris Jones and Christian Wilkins, the NFL’s two highest-paid at the position.

If Edholm is correct, this would be the second straight year in which Brown is Carolina’s top talent. 2023 saw the former seventh overall pick secure an NFL single-season record for most tackles by a defensive lineman as well as his very first Pro Bowl appearance.

His efforts helped him earn a four-year, $96 million extension this past April—making him the fourth-highest paid player at his position.

[lawrence-related id=695081,695010,694826]

ESPN gives Panthers solid grade for 2024 offseason

The Panthers fared pretty well this offseason according to ESPN’s Seth Walder.

So, how did the reconstructed Carolina Panthers front office do in their first offseason?

Seth Walder of ESPN Analytics recently graded each NFL team’s trips through free agency and the draft here in 2024. Walder marks up the Dan Morgan-led Panthers with a solid ‘B-‘ grade, highlighting the acquisition of wide receiver Diontae Johnson as the move he liked:

The Panthers’ biggest challenge was dealing with an extreme need at wide receiver, and they were able to come up with a creative solution, dealing cornerback Donte Jackson for Johnson. The former Steelers receiver brings a much-needed skill set — most notably, the ability to get open with regularity. Johnson ranked 12th in open score in 2023 and first in 2022, per our receiver tracking metrics).

The former Pro Bowler was acquired at the beginning of the new league year from the Pittsburgh Steelers. Carolina agreed to send over cornerback Donte Jackson along with a pick swap for the pass-catching technician.

Walder also provided some thoughts on who the Panthers did (Derrick Brown) and did not (Brian Burns) give a long-term extension to:

I’m torn on Carolina’s choice. It has to operate like it is in Year 2 of a rookie QB window, so it might have wanted to retain and pay Burns, but this team is far away from contending and the draft capital helps in the long term. The Panthers made the opposite choice with defensive tackle Derrick Brown, whom they signed to a $96 million extension. Though I’d have preferred to allocate that money to Burns, I like Brown, who led all defensive tackles in run stop win rate last season (47%) by a healthy margin. They paid for that skill, as $24 million per year isn’t cheap.

Speaking of not being cheap, Walder questioned Carolina’s investment into guard Robert Hunt as well. That five-year, $100 million pact, which was a move he disliked, probably hurt that final grade a bit.

[lawrence-related id=698428,695089,693999]

PFF ranks Panthers’ Derrick Brown as NFL’s 4th-best interior defender

Panthers DT Derrick Brown has made his presence known.

We’ve entered the Derrick Brown Era.

Carolina’s big man in the middle was recently ranked amongst the league’s very best by Pro Football Focus lead NFL analyst Sam Monson—who listed the top interior defenders going into the 2024 campaign. Monson positions Brown at No. 4:

The first player on the list who is more of a run specialist than a pass-rusher, Brown has been the best interior run defender in the game over the past two seasons, earning a 90.1 PFF run-defense grade.

He tallied a massive 53 defensive stops last season alone, 10 more than any other interior player.

Brown also tallied 103 total tackles in 2023, setting a new NFL single-season record for a defensive lineman. Those gaudy numbers helped the former seventh overall pick earn his first Pro Bowl nod, replacing future Hall of Famer and the now-retired Aaron Donald.

Only Kanas City’s Chris Jones (No. 1), New York’s Dexter Lawrence (No. 2) and the other New York’s Quinnen Williams (No. 3) ranked above Brown on Monson’s list.

[lawrence-related id=695081,695010,690592]

PFF names Panthers’ 3 best players ahead of 2024 season

PFF named the Panthers’ big three going into the 2024 campaign.

Who is in the Carolina Panthers’ big three?

Pro Football Focus analyst Trevor Sikkema has rounded up the top three players for each team as we head into the 2024 campaign. Starting off the trio for Carolina is an obvious choice—defensive tackle Derrick Brown.

Brown is fresh off setting the NFL’s single-season record for most tackles by a lineman. The first-time Pro Bowler also lit up numbers for PFF, earning a career-high 90.9 overall defensive grade.

Following Brown is Jaycee Horn, who has proved to be one of the league’s most effective cornerbacks . . . when he’s on the field. The oft-injured former eighth overall pick earned an 84.1 overall mark over six games in 2023, topping his 74.1 from 2022 and his 67.8 from 2021.

Rounding out the group is free-agent signing Jadeveon Clowney. Sikkema wrote the following about the three-time Pro Bowl pass rusher:

Edge rusher Jadeveon Clowney posted the third-highest season grade of his career last year (85.7), and although he is new to the team and only getting older, he is one of the Panthers’ top players. No single full-time Panthers offensive player earned a season grade above 78.0 in 2023.

Sikkema noted that guard Robert Hunt, who inked a five-year, $100 million pact with the Panthers this offseason, was also under consideration for a spot.

[lawrence-related id=695010,696139,694486]

Ranking the top 30 interior DL in the league after the 2024 NFL draft

With Aaron Donald out of the picture, who will become the new king at this position?

After 10 years of dominating the Seattle Seahawks and just about everybody else in the NFL, the best interior defensive lineman in the league has mercifully hung up his spurs and called it a career. Having won three Defensive Player of the Year awards, making 10 Pro Bowl teams and earning eight All-Pro honors, Aaron Donald went out on top – leading all interior linemen in tackles for a loss (16) last season.

With Aaron Donald out of the picture, who will become the new king of the iDL? Let’s find out. Here’s how we rank the top 30 interior defensive linemen in the NFL going into the 2024 season, beginning with a few rookies who will take the league by storm once they get up to speed.

7 takeaways from the Seahawks’ open OTAs practice on Wednesday

Panthers DT Derrick Brown asked if Brian Burns trade worried him

Derrick Brown was asked if the trade of Brian Burns concerned him before reaching a new deal with the Panthers.

Derrick Brown had every right to question his status with the Carolina Panthers after last month’s trade of Brian Burns. But it seems like he never even had the chance to do so.

On Monday, Brown chatted with local reporters for the first time since signing his four-year, $96 million extension. Joe Person of The Athletic asked him if the team’s parting with his fellow standout defender raised any concerns about his standing in Carolina moving forward.

“I didn’t really know what was going on in the offseason,” Brown replied. “Kinda just stayed away from it. Let my agent handle it. I spent the offseason doing what I normally do—being a dad and training. So when the opportunity came about and the contract talks started, then I was excited and then it got done.”

While Brown was doing what we normally does, the Panthers shipped out Burns to the New York Giants. After failing to reach common ground with the organization on his long-term aspirations, the two-time Pro Bowl pass rusher found what he was looking for in New York—agreeing to a five-year, $141 million pact.

This wasn’t the first time the Panthers traded a first-round pick either. Before Burns, running back Christian McCaffrey and wide receiver DJ Moore were also included in a couple of tough deals.

So, yeah, Brown very well could’ve been next.

But as far as what Brown was looking for, he’s obviously found it right here in Carolina.

[lawrence-related id=683506,688973,693302]

Panthers DT Derrick Brown gives early impressions of HC Dave Canales

Panthers DT Derrick Brown offered his first impressions of new HC Dave Canales on Wednesday.

So, how’s the new guy so far? Well, let’s see what one of the top guys thinks.

Carolina Panthers defensive tackle Derrick Brown spoke to reporters on Monday, his first chat since making his four-year, $96 million deal an official one. Scott Fowler of The Charlotte Observer would ask the Pro Bowl defender about his early impressions of new head coach Dave Canales.

“Coach Canales is a great guy,” Brown replied. “Even from the Monday that we got back in and we started back up—he set the goal for us moving forward. It’s just let’s back to the basics and let’s just play ball, and let’s do it that way and let’s do it the right way.”

Canales seems to be breathing some fresh energy into the building already. The 42-year-old was captured greeting each player individually as they met up for the first installment of the offseason workout program on Monday.

Brown also touched on a few coaches he’s already familiar with, including defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero.

“Getting Coach E back was a huge thing for me,” he later added. “Also having Todd Wash back as our D-line coach. This is the first time in my career I’ve had the same D-line coach two years in a row. So, just being able to have familiarity around the building and being able to stay in the system and know the system and just keep going within the system, I think that’s been awesome.”

Under Evero and Wash, Brown posted 103 tackles in 2023—setting a new single-season NFL record for a defensive lineman.

[lawrence-related id=695010,694826,692074]

Panthers DT Derrick Brown officially signs 4-year extension on Monday

Derrick Brown put pen to paper on his four-year, $96 million extension.

Derrick Brown is officially locked in.

After getting started on the offseason workout program today, the Pro Bowl defensive tackle put pen to paper on his four-year, $96 million extension with the Carolina Panthers.

The 25-year-old also spoke about the importance of his new deal on Monday.

“You know, it’s an awesome feeling, I feel like the organization put the belief in me, and allow me just to be able to do what I do,” Brown said, via Darin Gantt of Panthers.com. “Never put too much pressure on me, having high expectations for me always, but allowing me to just be who I am while doing what I do, right?

“I think it’s no pressure but high expectations. So it’s more what our coaches expect from us, and you have to use that voice to be the highest voice. And that allows me to be able to go out and not listen to too many people or let anybody else’s pain affect me and just be able to walk in a room and sit down and talk and then I know exactly what our game plan for the week is. Hearing you talk about it and being able to know just exactly what they expect for the week.”

Brown’s total contract value and average annual value ($24 million) are both tied for the fourth-highest at his position.

[lawrence-related id=695016,694956,694826]