Here at Cat Scratch Reader we have counted down the final 100 days leading up to the Carolina Panthers season opener by for at least the past ten years. We’ve always done this by highlighting the current player on the roster whose jersey number matches the day on the countdown. This year, we decided to change that up a bit by counting down our own list of the Top 100 Panthers of all time. This does not correspond to jersey number, does not need to be somebody who wore a jersey, and will in no way be controversial.
#33. Derrick Brown
Derrick Brown is the second highest ranked current Panther on our list, coming in at No. 33, and for good reason. The 6’5”, 320 pounder out of Auburn was the rare defensive tackle taken in the top ten of the NFL Draft. The Panthers took Brown seventh overall in the 2020 draft. While he started off his rookie year a little slow statistically speaking, he really started to blossom in his second season especially against the run. 2022 saw his explosion into the conversation of “best defensive tackles in the league” as he logged 67 tackles and was graded as the eighth best defensive tackle in the league per PFF.
The following season, Brown started to really gain national notoriety due to an historic statistical season. He set a new NFL record for tackles by an interior lineman with 103 stops. He posted a PFF rating of 90.1, placing him in the “elite” category (fourth overall at his position) and earning him a Pro Bowl nod. That offseason, he signed a well-deserved massive four-year, $96 million contract extension, cementing him as a defensive leader and anchor for years to come. Unfortunately for Brown and the rest of the Panthers defense, he only played one game in 2024, tearing his meniscus on ending up on IR the first week of the regular season. He returned to his stellar play in 2025, notching 73 tackles and a career high five sacks.
If anyone ever doubted Derrick Brown’s impact on the Panthers, consider this: the Panthers gave up 2,096 rushing yards in 2023 and 2,081 rushing yards in 2025 with Derrick Brown in the lineup. In the 2024 season without Derrick Brown, the team allowed 3,057 rushing yards. That’s over 1,000 rushing yards difference between having Brown and not having him. While the Panthers are known for their elite linebackers since their inception, they haven’t done too bad at defensive tackle either: KK Short, Star Lotulelei, Kris Jenkins, and now Derrick Brown. Off the field, Brown is a vocal leader, unafraid to hold himself and/or teammates accountable for practice and study habits. For his on-field excellence and off-field leadership, he already lands at No. 33. I am excited to see where he finally ends up in Panthers lore as he continues his stellar career.
