The most valuable player of any football team is almost always its quarterback. And with Bryce Young prepared to attack his second pro campaign with a revamped offensive line, a few more capable weapons and an exciting new head coach, he should be the favorite for the Carolina Panthers in said honor . . . right?
Not so fast.
NFL.com lead draft writer Eric Edholm recently predicted the MVPs for each team ahead of the 2024 season. While he was a tad tempted by Young, Edholm ultimately went with the dominant defensive tackle Derrick Brown:
A hopeful soul might go with Bryce Young here, and I do think Young eventually will grow into a successful, front-line role with this team. But that still requires a tad too much faith for me right now, even with the seeming improvements the Panthers have made on offense this offseason. I can’t quite envision a Trevor Lawrence-like jump from Year 1 to Year 2 for Young at this stage, even if he figures to be better this season under Dave Canales.
Brown is understandably an atypical selection based on his position, but when you’re talking about a team coming off a 2-15 season with no established offensive stars, it becomes a little easier to embrace. I also suggest watching some of what Brown did last season because I think Carolina’s nightmare season cloaked what was a mostly dominant showcase, topping 100 tackles(!) and averaging nearly one QB hit per game despite near-constant double teams. The only two interior defenders who played more snaps than Brown last season were Chris Jones and Christian Wilkins, the NFL’s two highest-paid at the position.
If Edholm is correct, this would be the second straight year in which Brown is Carolina’s top talent. 2023 saw the former seventh overall pick secure an NFL single-season record for most tackles by a defensive lineman as well as his very first Pro Bowl appearance.
His efforts helped him earn a four-year, $96 million extension this past April—making him the fourth-highest paid player at his position.
