The 2026 NFL season is about to start next week—and technically, all 32 teams have the same chance at making it all the way to the Super Bowl. The reality, however, is that not all 32 teams have been created equally—and only a handful of them have a realistic chance of winning a championship.
Talent is simply not distributed evenly to every team, and ESPN's new ranking of the top 100 players in the NFL prove the point pretty well.
If things were equal, each team would have three players on the list. The reigning NFC South champion Carolina Panthers only have two, though.
First, star cornerback Jaycee Horn made the cut at No. 94:
Horn will be more fluid in the defensive backfield in 2026. This summer, he has been used in the slot, which should take
advantage of his blitzing ability. While he was sent at the quarterback just 16 times over the past two seasons, according to NFL Next Gen Stats, he created pressure on 25% of those opportunities (including two sacks and four QB hits).
Longtime underrated defensive tackle Derrick Brown also made the list at No. 78:
In his past two healthy seasons (excluding his 2024 campaign that was limited to one game due to meniscus surgery), Brown produced 34 QB hits and seven total sacks, per NFL Next Gen Stats. With edge rusher Jaelan Phillips now joining Carolina's front, those numbers should only go up. While Phillips tightens the pocket, Brown can get hands on opposing quarterbacks regularly, especially with his history of shedding blocks.
The idea that there are 77 better players in the league than Brown is a little bit silly, especially seeing Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff one spot ahead of him. That's a story for another day, though.
Carolina has a couple of candidates who might make this list in the coming years, including wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan and cornerback Mike Jackson. Linebacker Devin Lloyd should also be in the mix.
They are, though, missing one very important element. Starting quarterback Bryce Young may have just made the cut on the NFL Top 100 list as voted on by the players, but he doesn't belong there—nor on this one. Until Young takes that leap and breaks into the next tier of quarterbacks, it's going to be difficult for the Panthers to graduate to the next status of contender.
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This article originally appeared on Panthers Wire: ESPN ranks only 2 Panthers among NFL's top 100 players
