Derrick Brown, the NFL's best-kept secret, ranks among the league's top 100 players
A to Z Sports ranked the NFL’s top 105 players, and Derrick Brown ranked in the top 70.
The summer and fame of Derrick Brown are only continuing to grow.
A to Z Sports released its second installment of its top 105 NFL rankings. In the second edition, players ranked 85 through 66 were released. The first installment included players ranked 105 through 86.
Derrick Brown, the Carolina Panthers star defensive lineman, came in at No. 70. He is viewed as an elite playmaker all along the interior of the defensive line. And after receiving a nice payday, he appears primed to take the NFL by storm.
"He’s been one of the few bright spots in Carolina for the past few seasons and started to truly elevate his game in 2022 before posting the best season of his young career in 2023," writes John Sheeran of A to Z Sports Cincinnati. "He was the only player to post 40+ pressures (41) and 50+ defensive stops (53) last year according to Pro Football Focus, and his overall grade of 90.1 was fourth among interior defensive linemen. The Panthers rightfully rewarded him with a four-year, $96 million extension, and he still might be underpaid."
The 2023 season was a record-breaking year for Brown. He blew past the NFL's single-season tackle record for a defensive lineman, finishing with 103 total. He broke the previous record of 98 tackles set by Christian Wilkins in 2022. In the process, he multiplied the previous franchise record of 67, set by Mike Rucker in 2002 which he tied last year.
For his work, Brown was named to the Pro Bowl.
"He's had a heck of a year," defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero said of Brown's performance in January. "He's been so disruptive. I don't think it's arguably—I think he's been the best run defender in the NFL this year. He's done a heck of a job rushing the quarterback, and creating pressures, the interception, the batted balls. There's been so much production. The leadership. He's been instrumental in everything that we've done."
As he continues to earn praise, Brown appears set to do what he does best: play football.
The NFL’s best-kept secret is finally getting his chance in the spotlight
When the Carolina Panthers inked Derrick Brown to a long-term extension, the franchise knew what others didn’t.
