NFL Draft 2020: Derrick Brown will be immediate starter for Panthers

With the No. 7 pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, the Carolina Panthers selected defensive tackle Derrick Brown. How does this pick shake out for Carolina?

Of the defenders on the board, Derrick Brown was likely the most powerful, consistent and explosive.

The Panthers have lost quite a few guys up front recently, including Mario Addison, Bruce Irvin, Gerald McCoy and Vernon Butler. They have holes to fill and this big man is everything that Carolina needs on the defensive side of the ball as they begin to rebuild under new head coach Matt Rhule.

He has instant snap recognition and is explosive off the ball. With 11.5 tackles for loss last season along with two forced fumbles, he is making the game-changing plays that a team like Carolina needs as they undergo a complete rebuild.

Brown’s NFL combine numbers weren’t all that great, but what he put up on the field over his four years at Auburn was enough to outweigh that for the Panthers on draft day. He racked up 166 total tackles and 12 sacks in four seasons with the Tigers, three as a starter, and was a leader on and off the field. He’s strong against the run and creates separation to make big-time plays, something that the Panthers are surely excited about for years to come.

Grade: A

The 2019 SEC Defensive Player of the Year has been a favorite for the Panthers for a while, so this pick is not all that surprising, but it is a great one for them — he’s a difference-maker and is extremely consistent, ready to go from Day 1 in Carolina.