Analyst claims Panthers have three legit team DPOY candidates

It's hard to understate just how good and how important Derrick Brown has been. His return is not the only change, but it's the biggest one for a Panthers defense that is astonishingly decent this year.

"The former Auburn mauler often looks unblockable, as was the case Sunday when two Packers’ linemen were flagged for holding Brown rather than letting him knife into the backfield," Person accurately pointed out.

But there are two honorable mentions here that, under normal circumstances or on a team without the best IDL in football, Jaycee Horn and Tre'von Moehrig would both have really strong cases for the award.

Horn has been one of the best cornerbacks in football. "Horn has shown he’s an All-Pro caliber player when healthy. When Horn asked the defensive coaches to let him cover George Pickens on the final drive, it helped the Panthers hold off the Cowboys in Week 6," Person said.

Horn is second in the NFL in interceptions, and he has four pass breakups to his name as well. He's mostly been efficient, and often, teams don't even try to throw his way. There are several games (Jets, Falcons, Jaguars, etc.) in which he was maybe the best player on the field.

Moehrig has been the best acquisition this defense made all offseason, so Person gives him a shout, too. "[He] has brought much-needed physicality to the defense after four seasons in Las Vegas. His versatility also has been huge, making it tough for offensive coordinators to identify what look the Panthers are playing," the insider noted.

After giving up the most points in NFL history, those three have been crucial cogs to getting this defense back out of the basement, and the defense, strangely, has been the driving force behind this 5-4 start.