Derrick Brown Drafted by Panthers: Carolina's Updated Depth Chart After Round 1

The Carolina Panthers added one of the best defensive players available from the collegiate ranks at the 2020 NFL draft on Thursday with the selection of Derrick Brown. 

Carolina picked the Auburn star at No. 7 overall, giving it a run-stuffing defensive lineman who can generate pressure on opposing quarterbacks up the middle.

Here's the Panthers' updated defensive depth chart with Brown in the mix:

LDE: Stephen Weatherly, Efe Obada

DT: Derrick Brown, Woodrow Hamilton, Zach Kerr

RDE: Kawann Short, Chris Smith

OLB: Brian Burns, Sione Teuhema

ILB: Shaq Thompson, Jermaine Carter Jr.

ILB: Tahir Whitehead, Andre Smith

OLB: Marquis Haynes, Christian Miller

CB: Donte Jackson, Cole Luke

CB: Corn Elder, Dominique Hatfield

FS: Tre Boston, Quin Blanding

SS: Juston Burris, TJ Green

Brown seemed destined for NFL greatness when he arrived at Auburn as a 5-star recruit and the No. 9 overall player in the class of 2016, per 247Sports' composite rankings. He wasn't a significant contributor during his freshman campaign, but he quickly played his way into the Tigers' defensive line rotation as a sophomore.

He tallied 57 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss, three sacks and two forced fumbles in 2017 and then followed up with 48 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery in 2018.

Brown was a nationally known defensive presence by his final collegiate season, and he delivered as the 2019 SEC Defensive Player of the Year with 54 tackles, 11.5 tackles for loss, four sacks, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries.

The defensive tackle was nearly impossible to block with a single offensive lineman because of his athleticism and driving power, and he often opened up blitzing lanes for his teammates on the outside.

As a result, Bleacher Report's Matt Miller projected the 22-year-old to go No. 7 overall in an April mock draft.

"Brown is a massive human being at 6'5", 326 pounds, but he is also an athlete who, once unlocked from his scheme, has the tools to be a penetrator and reset the line of scrimmage with his upfield push and power," Miller wrote.

There seems little doubt Brown will work his way into Carolina's primary depth chart during his rookie campaign.

The Panthers already feature a talented defense that tied for second in the league with 53 sacks last season. However, the pass rush needed to replace Mario Addison, who signed with the Buffalo Bills as a free agent, and Brown gives it someone who can do just that while keeping the unit among the NFL's best.