Unfortunately for Carolina Panthers defensive tackle Derrick Brown, his all-star campaign has gotten a bit buried under his team’s massively disappointing season. But his coach tried to dig it up for him on Thursday.
Defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero spoke with reporters following this afternoon’s practice. He was asked about the impact of Brown’s presence this year.
“People are definitely accountin’ for him,” he said. “He’s gettin’ more blockers, more attention, the center turn—all those different types of things. But he’s been so disruptive—run game and pass game. A lot of people are gonna focus on the run, and rightfully so, he’s done a heck of a job.
“But you even look at the rush production—and yeah he only has one sack, I believe—but he’s affectin’ the quarterback and he’s pushin’ the pocket and he’s done a lot of good things. Obviously, he’s knockin’ the ball down, a lot of batted balls. He’s playin’ at a Pro Bowl-level, that’s for damn sure.”
After shattering the single-season franchise record for tackles by a defensive tackle last year, Brown set the bar again this past Sunday. The 2020 first-round pick is now up to 74 combined takedowns, 12 quarterback hits, 39 stops and a team-leading 33 pressures.
Week 14 also saw Brown record his first interception of 2023, giving Evero and others yet another reason to cast their vote for the 6-foot-5, 320-pound menace.
“Just watch the tape,” Evero later added of Brown’s Pro Bowl case. “Obviously, there’s a lot of run production, just hurries, things of that nature, the interception. But you go watch the tape and you’re not gonna find a lot of players playin’ at a better level.”
