SEC linemen hated facing him. What drafting Derrick Brown would bring to the Panthers
Georgia’s Andrew Thomas is one of the best offensive tackle prospects in this year’s draft class.
During his media session at the NFL Combine, Thomas was asked who was the best player in the Southeastern Conference that he went up against.
“Derrick Brown.”
The defensive tackle from Auburn has received a lot of praise, and Thomas wasn’t the only SEC offensive lineman to utter his name.
“I think the toughest opponent all-around I played was Derrick Brown,” LSU center Lloyd Cushenberry said. “He’s the total package. Great power, speed, getting on you fast.”
NFL Network analyst Daniel Jeremiah has Brown as the second-best overall prospect in this year’s draft after Ohio State’s Chase Young. Pro Football Focus has him as the top interior defender.
After the Panthers’ defensive line struggled, especially in the second half of the 2019 season and most notably against the run, Brown could make a lot of sense for the Panthers as the seventh overall pick.
Carolina allowed the most rushing touchdowns (31) and yards per attempt (5.2) last year. They also will likely be losing multiple defensive starters to free agency, including Gerald McCoy.
During his four years at Auburn, he totaled 170 tackles, 33 tackles for loss, 12.5 sacks and eight passes defensed. In 2019 he was named SEC Defensive Player of the Year and a first-team All-American. He had elected to return to school for his senior year despite having the potential to be a first-round pick in 2019, and his decision paid off.
“Just trying to be more consistent and trying to consistently dominate the game,” Brown said on what he hoped to do with his decision to return. “Day in and day out going out to practice and trying to have that new attitude and trying to work every day.”
Not only did he earn his degree by staying in school, but he continued to participate in extracurricular activities at Auburn, including serving on leadership councils and taking part in community service projects. His brother, Kameron, also started his college career at Auburn as a linebacker in 2019.
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Brown is now likely to be a top-10 pick. When asked what separates him from the 2018 version of himself, he says that “the 2018 version doesn’t exist” anymore.
But there was even more than that playing into his decision to come back.
“I graduated and I was able to be with my son in the first year of his life, so I’ve got no regrets about (coming back for a senior year),” Brown said. “I know that football is going to come to an end someday, you’ve got to be able to do something after.”
He has met with every NFL team, in addition to formal interviews with select teams that largely hadn’t taken place as of Thursday. Brown did sit down with Panthers defensive coordinator Phil Snow and defensive line coach Mike Phair to talk with them.
While he grew up in Atlanta, Brown wasn’t a Falcons fan (or a fan of any other NFL team). For whatever team he ends up with, the six-foot-4, 318-pound tackle will have an immediate impact. He doesn’t fit one specific position and instead can be used in a variety of ways, something the Panthers’ coaching staff will be looking for during the draft process.
Many players that have received as positive of reviews as Brown aren’t participating in drills during the Combine. But that’s not the case with him.
“I’m here to put on the best show possible,” he said.
This story was originally published February 27, 2020 at 4:17 PM.
