Perhaps now, more than ever, the NFL is placing a premium on high-level defensive tackles who can generate pressure and stop the run. We saw that type of formula work this past season, with the Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks’ daunting front.
The Carolina Panthers have one of the game's best interior defensive linemen in Derrick Brown. However, the supporting cast around him is still lagging behind—even if it's better now than it has been in years.
According to Pro Football Focus, the Panthers have the 15th-best defensive line in the league going into the 2026 season. Analyst Gordon McGuinness writes:
The Panthers made a significant investment in edge defender Jaelan Phillips, hoping he can complement Derrick Brown’s dominance on the interior.
Injuries have limited Phillips throughout his career, but he played 819 snaps in 2025, his highest total since 2022. Brown remains the centerpiece of the defensive front. He was at his best in 2023, when he earned a career-high 90.1 PFF grade, but remained productive last season with 35 pressures across 450 pass-rushing snaps.
Brown is undeniably a star, and arguably one of the top-five performers in the NFL at a loaded position. The Panthers helped him out by signing Phillips and drafting fellow lineman Lee Hunter—which should, in theory, lighten up the attention on No. 95.
The question marks are the team's two free-agent signings from last year that went bust - Tershawn Wharton and Bobby Brown III, who both disappointed after inking lucrative deals. Wharton is currently out with a neck injury and Brown has struggled since joining—but if either one of them can make a positive impact, it will make a huge difference for this unit in 2026.
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This article originally appeared on Panthers Wire: Panthers' defensive line gets mediocre ranking from PFF
