Derrick Brown’s rise back into the spotlight has landed him a new piece of recognition: for the first time in his career, the Carolina Panthers defensive tackle is part of the “NFL Top 100.”
Brown checked in at No. 90 in NFL Films’ 16th annual player-voted ranking, giving the former Auburn All-American a spot on the 2026 list after missing out in previous years. The announcement came Monday, when the No. 90 and No. 89 spots were unveiled after the countdown began last week.
No. 90 on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2026… @Panthers DE Derrick Brown! pic.twitter.com/rLQ0rTPMam
- NFL (@NFL) June 29, 2026
The honor follows a stretch of extremes for Brown. He earned a Pro Bowl nod in 2023 and set an NFL record for an interior defensive lineman with 103 tackles. Then 2024 hit hard: Brown played only in the opener before a knee injury shut him down for the rest of the season.
He came back in 2025 and made his presence felt again. Brown finished with 73 tackles, which ranked second among NFL interior linemen, while adding a career-best five sacks and seven pass breakups. Carolina’s playoff run followed, with the Panthers reaching the postseason for the first time since the 2017 season.
Brown is the second player tied to an Alabama high school or college to appear in the 2026 rankings, joining Carolina quarterback Bryce Young, who landed at No. 98 as an Alabama product.
The “NFL Top 100” rollout is continuing two players at a time each weekday on X. Through Aug. 21, one player will be revealed at 9 a.m.
CDT and another at 10 a.m. The final stretch begins Aug. 24, when the top 10 will be unveiled one player per weekday at 9 a.m. through Sept. 4, five days before the 2026 NFL season kicks off.
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