With the seventh overall selection in the 2020 NFL draft, the Panthers selected Auburn defensive tackle Derrick Brown.
It’s clear Marty Hurney and Matt Rhule are serious about strengthening their defense after a season that saw the team finish near the bottom defensively, especially when it came to stopping the run.
Let’s take a closer look at Carolina’s first-round pick, who should help turn around that atrocious run defense right away.
Strengths:
Brown measured in at a whopping 6-foot-5, 326 pounds with 34 1/4 inch arms at the NFL Combine. He has all the physical tools to become a dominant defensive lineman in the NFL. As for his athletic testing, he clocked a 5.16 second 40-yard dash, put up 28 reps on the bench and posted a 4.79 twenty yard shuttle time. It wasn’t a dominant combine performance, but it was a respectable one for a player his size.
More importantly, Brown has been a consistent All-American and has faced some of the best offensive line talent college football has to offer. His upper body strength and ability to drive opponents back is unparalleled in this class. Brown is explosive off the ball and has the first-step quickness to penetrate his gap on nearly every snap. He is also technically refined enough with his pass rush counters that he can occasionally line up on the edge. On film, Brown is constantly living in the opponent’s backfield and never gives up on a play.
Weaknesses:
Brown is a well-rounded lineman. The big concern will be that he relies too much on his upper body strength at times. This means that he plays with poor leverage and is too upright coming out of his stance. However, this is something that should be correctible with the right coaching.
Fit with the Panthers:
Brown’s most natural fit is as a pure three technique in a 4-3 scheme, which is what the Panthers will be playing under Rhule. He should be disruptive enough to help take away double-team pressure on Kawann Short and Brian Burns. A starting inside tandem consisting of Short and Brown should be one of the best in the NFL.
