Who is the Panthers' Best Draft Pick of All-Time?

Carolina has made several good draft picks over the years. Who was the best?

As we near the 2023 NFL Draft, excitement around the Carolina Panthers' organization continues to grow. For the second time in franchise history, they own the number one overall pick thanks to a trade with the Chicago Bears.

To take a brief pause from discussing the future of the team, we take a moment to look back at the past. 

The Panthers have had several great draft picks in their young existence from Cam Newton, Luke Kuechly, Steve Smith Sr., Julius Peppers, Brian Burns, Christian McCaffrey, Thomas Davis, Jordan Gross, and so on. But who is the best draft pick in Panthers' franchise history?

According to Sports Illustrated's Matt Verderame, it's Peppers.

Drafted second, Peppers became one of the best players of his generation. He made an instant impact, winning Defensive Rookie of the Year and helping the Panthers to their first Super Bowl. He also went on to nine Pro Bowls and a pair of All-Decade teams.

Perhaps most impressive about Peppers was his longevity. The edge rusher made the Pro Bowl at ages 24 and 35, and at 37 years old recorded 11.5 sacks in his second stint with Carolina. 

It's really hard to argue this one. Peppers is arguably the best player to ever suit up for Carolina and is a future Hall of Famer. However, if we're talking about the best draft pick, I can't go with Peppers. He was the second overall pick. Those picks tend to hit at a high rate. For me, the best pick has to be Steve Smith Sr. No one thought he would have the career he ended up having. He was an undersized prospect at 5'9", 180ish pounds and at the time, those guys were passed on regularly. Carolina landed him in the third round. Drafting a future Hall of Famer in the third is quite the find.

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