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SPARTANBURG, S.C. — The tiny towns of Bailey and Stantonsburg are separated by about 20 miles and little else in rural eastern North Carolina.

The Carolina Panthers hope the area is about to produce their second star defensive end.

Seven years after the Panthers made Bailey native Julius Peppers the second overall pick, the Panthers made a bold draft-day trade to take Stantonsburg's Everette Brown.

The two have been nearly inseparable in training camp. The topics of conversation: hand placement, reading the offense and old stories from home, where Stantonsburg's 712 residents edge out Bailey's 684.

"You'd be surprised at how many of the same people you know because of being from the same area," Brown said Thursday. "My high school coach and his high school coach at the time were neighbors. So a lot of things that are similar with me are similar with him."

The Panthers would be thrilled if Brown is similar to Peppers on the field, too. And they made a big gamble that he'll at least come close.

Carolina traded next year's first-round pick to San Francisco to take the ex-Florida State star in the second round, 43rd overall. Brown was initially viewed as insurance, as it came shortly after Peppers announced he wanted to play for another team.

With Carolina's career sacks leader back, Brown will play behind Peppers at right defensive end, intent on proving he didn't make the wrong choice by leaving school after his junior year.

"I didn't second guess myself at all," said Brown, whose stock dropped amid concerns that he's small (6-foot-1, 256 pounds) for a defensive end. "I landed in a great place here in Carolina. It's a great opportunity to go out there and contribute right away."

While Peppers hasn't granted an interview since training camp began, the notoriously quiet star has been vocal with Brown. The two are often seen walking around the Wofford College campus.

Brown, much more outgoing, hasn't been shy to ask Peppers for tips.

"Just being able to be behind him and watch him go through drills and go against the offense, it's just a visual that helps me in my overall game," Brown said. "Then being able to work with him one-on-one during our defensive line drills, I'm able to feel the way that he moves, his hand placement and what keys does he read to help him get into the blocker quicker. That's going to make you that much quicker to the ball and help you make plays. I've been able to just soak that all in."

As a smaller, speedier player, Brown fits the prototype end new defensive coordinator Ron Meeks used in his former job in Indianapolis. Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis were successful despite being undersized, and Meeks pushed to get Brown.

"I see a lot of comparisons to those guys, and that is why I think he was worthy of taking him where we did," Meeks said. "We hope he continues to improve, and we think he's done a good job so far."

Brown still has to gain strength to help with defending the run before he has a chance to unseat starting left defensive end Tyler Brayton and be teamed with Peppers.

"I think if he's going to be an every-down defensive end, he has to improve in the run," left tackle Jordan Gross said. "He's not bad, I would just say it's the weak spot. But if he can rotate in on passing situations and do what he's been doing, he should be able to make an impact right away."

That's what Brown expects. He argued the expectations he has for himself outweigh any pressure from being the guy in which Carolina traded its 2010 first-round pick to get.

And maybe Brown can put Stantonsburg on the map like Peppers did with Bailey.

Just don't ask him what town is more exciting.

"I tell you, I don't know," Brown said, laughing. "Both of them are pretty much out there in the sticks. There's nothing in either one of them."