Sam Monson of Pro Football Focus put out his top 50 players in the NFL and as you would imagine, there’s a lack of representation from the Carolina Panthers. The only player to appear on the list? Defensive tackle Derrick Brown, who checks in at No. 43.

“Derrick Brown is as good as it gets when it comes to defending the run from the inside, but he also brings a real pass-rushing presence. In each of the past two seasons, he has notched at least 40 quarterback pressures and a 77.9 PFF pass-rushing grade, even if he pushes the pocket more than he generates sacks. Brown is a problem for opposing offenses to deal with.”

Chris Jones (Chiefs), Dexter Lawrence II (Giants), and Jalen Carter (Eagles) are the only d-lineman who rank higher. There’s no arguement with the first two, but putting Carter ahead of Brown is an interesting choice. He only started one game for Philadelphia as a rookie, but was able to get to the passer six times.

Racking up sacks is not really a big part of Brown’s game, but the stat sheet doesn’t always tell you the full story. Brown is still a handful for opposing o-lines in the pass game and should become even more of a problem with A’Shawn Robinson now a part of the front in Carolina.

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