CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Carolina Panthers defensive tackle Derrick Brown launched his 6-foot-5, 320-pound body into the air like he was going up for a dunk and suffocated a pass from New Orleans Saints quarterback Derek Carr with his outstretched arms.
The ball caromed off the helmet of a Saints lineman and Brown hauled it in for the interception.
When you're part of a team that has an NFL-worst 2-13 record and will miss the playoffs for the sixth straight season, it's not easy to get recognized when it comes time for Pro Bowl and All-Pro votes, unless you do something spectacular.
Brown has done spectacular all season, but this play on Dec. 10 stood out because it showed all of his physical skills wrapped up like a present for Christmas.
"Arguably, right now, he should be the talk as one of the best defensive tackles in the league,'' Carolina defensive tackle DeShawn Williams said. "Our record is our record, so he's not going to get a lot of publicity
"But it's a beautiful thing to see how he controls his one side of the ball. If you put on the tape, you'll see he's doing some crazy things.''
DB got both hands up and came out with the INT 🙌 pic.twitter.com/NSM0tRWmZS
— Carolina Panthers (@Panthers) December 10, 2023
That was the advice of Carolina defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero when asked why Brown should get heavy consideration for NFL honors.
"You gotta watch the tape,'' he said. "You're not going to find a lot of players playing at a better level.''
Much of the defensive focus before the season was on outside linebacker Brian Burns, who is seeking a long-term deal that will make him one of the highest paid at his position.
But Brown arguably has been Carolina's most consistent and disruptive defender in a season with few highlights. The seventh pick of the 2020 draft has 88 tackles, the most by an NFL defensive lineman this season and the most by one in Panthers history, which includes stars like future Hall of Famer Julius Peppers.
He is the only defensive lineman in the league to have two games with double-digit tackles this season, and he almost had a third with nine Sunday against the Green Bay Packers. He leads all NFL defensive linemen with a 48% run stop win rate, according to NFL Next Gen Stats. He also leads the NFL with the most run stop wins (146) and run stop tackles (52).
While Brown is under contract next season at $11,665,000 on his fifth-year option, signing him to a long-term deal has become just as important as re-signing Burns.
The two of them will give the next coaching staff a solid nucleus that could speed up the rebuilding process.
Burns can't say enough about Brown, who has flourished in Evero's 3-4 scheme more than he ever did in the 4-3 they used previously.
"One-on-one, he can't be blocked,'' Burns said.
Burns also knows what it's like to make the Pro Bowl when his team isn't having a good season. He was selected in 2021 when Carolina was 5-12 and again in 2022 with a 7-10 record.
But Burns had the attention-getting sacks working for him, collecting nine in '21 and a career-high 12.5 last season. Brown's only sack this season came in the opener against Atlanta. He has seven in almost four full seasons.
So he has to get noticed in other areas, like he did with the interception against Carr.
And that arguably wasn't his best play that day. On a play in the red zone, he split a double team and tossed running back Alvin Kamara for a loss.
"He's making them look like ragdolls,'' Williams said of opposing players. "He's a special talent. Dominant."
Even Brown, not one to brag about himself, is starting to realize how good he is. He admits he's come a long way from his rookie season in 2020, when "dominant" wasn't used much to describe him.
"My head was spinning so much,'' Brown said. "I was trying to take tidbits I was getting from the vets. My head was all over the place. The game was faster. It was chaos.''
A preseason challenge this year from defensive line coach Todd Walsh, who told Brown he'd underachieved until this season, served as motivation.
"He told me I needed to be more focused on [the game of foot]ball. Spend more time off the field with ball, and be able to comprehend ball better,'' Brown said. "Do I think I was fully devoted to doing that? No. Did I think I knew everything that I need to know to do all those things? No.
"I just took a different approach and tried to learn the game better.''
And he appreciated Walsh's comments.
"I didn't want somebody to kiss my ass,'' he said. "I wanted somebody to be honest with me.''
Now Brown is causing chaos regardless of the scheme he's in, regardless of whether he's double- or triple-teamed.
"If you want longevity in the league, you've got to be able to do it all,'' Brown said.
Getting postseason recognition doesn't hurt, either, particularly when it comes time to negotiating a new deal.
"I feel like I'm playing some of my best ball right now,'' Brown said. "We'll see what happens [with NFL honors]. If I get it, I get it. If I don't, it is what it is. But I'd love to get it. ''