When it comes to the Carolina Panthers roster in 2024, it's clear the team was deprived of star talent capable of lifting the team.
In reality, the team did have one player in defensive tackle Derrick Brown, but a season-ending knee injury in Week 1 against the New Orleans Saints caused a massive void on the roster in more ways than one.
After being named to his first career Pro Bowl in 2023 and earning a massive payday following his breakout season, Brown spent essentially his entire fifth season on the sideline watching Carolina's defense finish as the worst unit in football.
"Nobody wants to finish last in defense in the NFL. It's not a very nice trophy to hang on the wall there, but it's one that, it is what it is," Brown said. "So now, I mean, we've got to go out there, we've got to execute, we've got to get back to doing what we do."
Brown's been locked in to his recovery and working his way back on the field. After months walking around in crutches, Brown was back participating at a walk-through pace during minicamp and the team hopes to have their top defensive lineman fully cleared to return once training camp opens.
"That's the goal," Brown said in June. "And then, at that point, it's just getting back in football shape and, you know, being able to go out there and play with a team; that's what's on my mind, to be honest."
Well, now Brown has another thing to put on his mind and more people to prove wrong yet again in 2025.
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Derrick Brown left of ESPN's Top-10 DT ranking due to 2024 injury
This week, ESPN kicked off their annual Top-10 series with executives, coaches, scouts, and more turning in votes for the top players at each position around the league. On Tuesday, ESPN rolled out the ranking for the top defensive tackles.
Brown's name was absent from the Top-10, after being ranked #7 prior to the 2024 season. He was, however, included as an honorable mention with an NFC executive mentioning that "when he's healthy, he's near the top."
Getting back on the field is priority one, and returning to a Pro Bowl caliber level would be icing on the cake for the Panthers' defense. And on their side of things, Carolina's front office has been hard at work providing Brown with more on-field reinforcements to climb back up from the bottom of the rankings.
Between free agency and the 2025 NFL Draft, the Panthers added the following players to the defensive line: Tershawn Wharton, Bobby Brown III, Nic Scourton, Princely Umanmielen, and Cam Jackson.
"We brought in a lot of great guys," Brown added. "I'm excited, you know. Especially missing last year and then being able to bring in guys right now, that's going to help us, help this team, and help this franchise."
The biggest boost from a production and leadership standpoint is going to be getting Brown back. He can easily be one of the best players in the league when healthy.
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