Potential Carolina Panther: Derrick Brown | His Fit, Where He's Drafted

A closer look at how defensive lineman Derrick Brown could fit in Carolina

It's finally here! It's draft week!

The big question of who the Panthers will take with their first round selection will be answered in just a few days. Is it going to be LB Isaiah Simmons (Clemson), DL Derrick Brown (Auburn), or someone else?

This afternoon, we take a more in-depth look at one of those first round candidates, Auburn defensive lineman, Derrick Brown.

This offseason was a complete roster overhaul on both sides of the ball, but especially defensively. The entire starting defensive line from the 2019 season is now gone and an infusion of young talent is in need. Gerald McCoy, Dontari Poe, Bruce Irvin, Mario Addison and Vernon Butler Jr. were all valuable players in some way shape or form, but they were not living up to the expectations set out for them.

Carolina is in dire need of defensive linemen, so it wouldn't be all that surprising to see them draft another interior guy in the middle rounds to compliment Brown, should they take him with the No. 7 overall pick. Brown put together back-to-back solid campaigns combining for 101 tackles, 22 tackles for loss and 8.5 sacks over the past two seasons.

How does he fit?

Pretty simple. He's a plug and play type of guy. The Panthers don't really have a guy on the interior of the defensive line that should threaten him for a starting role. Brown could line up as a true nose or as an offset defensive tackle. He's had familiarity with both, so it shouldn't be much of a problem fitting into Phil Snow's defensive scheme.

What kind of player is he?

When you think of defensive tackles, you don't necessarily think of them as being pass rushers, but Brown has that in him. He's not going to rack up huge sack totals, but he puts a ton of pressure on the quarterback up the middle and can overpower the middle of the offensive line at any given time. Creating negative plays is what he does best and it doesn't always result in him being credited with the sack or tackle for loss. He oftentimes can soak up double teams and allows for others to make plays in the backfield.

Where does he go in the draft?

Similar to Isaiah Simmons, Brown could be selected anywhere between third and seventh in the draft. He should be on the board when the Panthers pick and if he is, that means that Simmons has been selected. 

Do you see Derrick Brown being a fit with the Carolina Panthers? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below!

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