The Carolina Panthers have some real playmakers on defense, and they're getting deserved respect ahead of the 2026 NFL season.
The Bleacher Report NFL scouting department annually releases its list of the top 1000 players in the league. On Wednesday, the group released its top 99 defensive players in the league, and the Panthers had four players make the list.
Today, let's find out who those four elite defenders are.
No. 97: CB Mike Jackson (CB29)
"After leading the NFL in passes defensed and setting a career high with five interceptions, Mike Jackson has established himself and helped create one of the league's best cornerback tandems," the scouting report said. "He's a solid all-around cover corner with the size, length, and ball skills to truly impact the catch point (40 passes broken up over the last two seasons, including playoffs)."
Jackson has represented incredible value for the Panthers. The Panthers originally traded for him ahead of the 2024 season, and he's developed into a key piece of the defense.
Jackson hasn't missed a game since coming to Carolina, and he has six interceptions and 36 pass breakups over that span.
No. 44: CB Jaycee Horn (CB12)
Speaking of very good cornerbacks, we have Jaycee Horn making the list. Horn has firmly cemented his place in top cornerback lists and is one of the team leaders.
"Being a twitched-up athlete with great length, ball skills, and coverage versatility at the cornerback position is tough to find, and those players stick around in the NFL," said the scouting department. "Jaycee Horn is all of those things. He plays with a great understanding of route concepts and film study on where quarterbacks want to go with the football and how receivers win."
As mentioned above, Horn has great coverage instincts and the speed and length to be a quarterback's nightmare. The corner set a new career-high in interceptions, with five in 2025.
No. 42: LB Devin Lloyd (LB5)
The Panthers knew they had to get better in the middle of the defense, so they went out and got the best linebacker available this offseason. Devin Lloyd was a reliable starter for the Jacksonville Jaguars for four seasons, and he earned his first Pro Bowl honor in 2025.
"Lloyd is an interesting player because he fits into the 'jack of all trades, master of none' category," Bleacher Report said of Lloyd. "If the 27-year-old can put it all together in Carolina, he'll start getting more love as one of the best linebackers in the league."
Lloyd racked up 81 tackles, six tackles for loss, seven pass breakups, and five interceptions. As demonstrated by the interceptions, Lloyd is very good in pass coverage, and he offers plenty as a run defender and pass rusher. It will be interesting to see if the veteran can get even better in 2026.
No. 38 DL Derrick Brown (DL8)
Finally, we have Derrick Brown, who's one of the faces of this team. The veteran is entering his seventh season with the Panthers, and he's one of the league's top defensive linemen when at his best.
"Brown's size and strength pop off the tape when working against the run. Not only is the 6'5", 320-pound defender difficult to move, he also tosses offensive linemen out of the way when shedding blocks," the scouting report says. "The 2023 Pro Bowler does show some quickness for his size, while adding 28 career passes defended when he doesn't get upfield."
Brown has never put up big sack numbers, but he's still a great pass rusher who puts up a ton of pressures. The defender put up a career-high five sacks in 2025 and was credited with 35 pressures, which ranked 25th out of 134 qualified defensive linemen.
