It was no secret that the Carolina Panthers would focus heavily on the defensive side of the ball in the 2020 NFL Draft. Having focused on offensive weapons during free agency, it was imperative to bolster the defense. The Panthers lost all three starting defensive tackles (Gerald McCoy, Vernon Butler, and Dontari Poe) to free agency.
Enter Derrick Brown. The former Auburn Tiger is big, strong, and athletic – must haves in the NFC South. Brown can play in both odd and even fronts and has the quickness and agility to win blocks and force early recovery. With a wide tackle radius, Brown is able to throw opponents off balance, affecting their ability to punch. The Panthers struggled in run defense all last season so Brown will be expected to contribute immediately.
Brown leaves Auburn as a unanimous All-American and a Nagurski finalist. For his career, Brown registered 170 tackles and 33.5 tackles for loss.
