Carolina Panthers 2020 NFL Draft grades: Matt Rhule nailed his first draft class

Matt Rhule and the Carolina Panthers went all defense in the NFL Draft, and came away with one of the strongest classes.

Sometimes, the best thing to do with a top draft pick is to not overthink it.

That’s a lot easier said than done, but sometimes a prospect comes along that is just so obviously the right pick that it seems too good to be true.

Derrick Brown is exactly that type of prospect, and the Carolina Panthers did the right thing in selecting him with their top draft choice this year. College football fans aren’t a good litmus test for MENSA membership, but they watch a lot of college ball and when enough of them are clamoring for the same guy, you should probably listen.

Or, in Derrick Brown’s case, watch what he can do to other fully grown human beings:

https://twitter.com/SportsPlug_/status/1253491510886236161

The Panthers defense was a disasterpiece last season, ranking near the bottom of the league in points allowed. The draft class as a whole was defined by the theme of rectifying this, and that started with perhaps the best defensive prospect next to Chase Young. Brown is going to be a problem for offenses trying to plan for the Panthers defense in years to come, which is brand new considering how bad it has been in years past.

Cam Newton is gone, the regime has changed, and the Panthers are entering a new era. But the blueprint to getting to the Super Bowl is already in-house: Create a brooding defense that will smother opponents trying to keep up.