2020 NFL mock draft: Two teams trade up for franchise quarterbacks

The Panthers could take a quarterback but they’ll have to trade up if they want Tagovailoa or Herbert. It’s possible they could take Jordan Love here, but that felt like too much of a reach to project right now.

Dontari Poe, Gerald McCoy, Vernon Butler and Kyle Love are all free agents this offseason, so depending on how free agency goes the Panthers may need to look at taking an interior defensive lineman early in the draft. Derrick Brown not only fills a need, but he is arguably the best player available at this point in this 2020 NFL mock draft.

Brown is an absolute monster at 6-foot-5, 318 pounds. He is a fantastic athlete for such a big man. He has potential to be one of the best run stoppers in the NFL with his strength he can just outright bully offensive linemen. He’s also very effective in pass rush, usually utilizing a bull rush to push the pocket. In his career at Auburn he’s recorded 33 tackles for loss and 12.5 sacks in 45 games.

One play that shows just how athletic Brown is his fumble recovery and return against Florida. He does trip on the return, but once he scoops up the ball his burst is very impressive.