{"id":68610,"date":"2019-07-19T01:16:27","date_gmt":"2019-07-19T05:16:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lwosonnfl.ms.lastwordonsports.com\/?p=68610"},"modified":"2021-05-30T13:07:40","modified_gmt":"2021-05-30T17:07:40","slug":"panthers-all-time-starting-defense","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2019\/07\/19\/panthers-all-time-starting-defense\/","title":{"rendered":"Carolina Panthers All-Time Starting Defense"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">2019 will mark the <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonprofootball.com\/nfl-teams\/panthers\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Carolina Panthers<\/a>\u2019 25th season as a member of the NFL. Over the past quarter-century, the team has boasted countless stars, fan-favorites and legendary greats. With that being said, below is the franchise\u2019s all-time starting defense. Based on the Panthers\u2019 primary use of a 4-3 scheme in the past, the lineup will consist of four linemen, three linebackers and four defensive backs. Be sure to also see the Panthers\u2019 <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonprofootball.com\/2019\/06\/20\/panthers-all-time-offense\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">all-time starting offense<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>Panthers All-Time Starting Defense<\/h2>\n<h3>Defensive End: Julius Peppers<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Following two stints and ten seasons with the Panthers, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/P\/PeppJu99.htm\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Julius Peppers<\/strong><\/a> is without question the franchise\u2019s best defensive player ever. Peppers recorded 97 sacks in black and blue and forced more than 30 fumbles, both of which are by far team records. Over his entire career, he racked up 159.5 sacks, which ranks fourth in NFL history. Peppers also ranks second all-time in tackles for loss.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"\u201cCanton Bound\u201d || Julius Peppers Career Tribute\/Highlights\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Kxdj5Xe6vrw?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The former second-overall pick out of North Carolina made nine Pro Bowls, three first-team All-Pro teams, and was the 2002 Defensive Rookie of the Year. Aside from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/N\/NewtCa00.htm\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Cam Newton<\/strong><\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/S\/SmitSt01.htm\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Steve Smith<\/strong><\/a>, Peppers is likely the most talented and influential player&#8211;on and off the field&#8211;that the franchise has ever seen.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3>Defensive Tackle: Kawann Short<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Despite being overshadowed by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/L\/LotuSt00.htm\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Star Lotulelei<\/strong><\/a> in the 2013 draft, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/S\/ShorKa00.htm\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Kawann Short<\/strong><\/a> has emerged as the best interior defensive lineman from that year\u2019s class. In only six seasons, Short has already recorded more sacks than any other defensive tackle in team history, posting 32.5. His 58 tackles for loss also rank first among Panthers defensive tackles. Short\u2019s most dominant season came in 2015 when he piled up 11 sacks en route to leading the Panthers to their second Super Bowl appearance. At only 30 years old, Short has a chance to not only build on his Panthers legacy but also create a legacy as one of the best defensive linemen in this era.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3>Defensive Tackle: Kris Jenkins<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Taken in the second round by the Panthers in 2001, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/J\/JenkKr00.htm\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Kris Jenkins<\/strong><\/a> went on to become a key cog up the middle for the next seven seasons. In only his second season, Jenkins was named to the Pro Bowl as well as a first-team All-Pro. He was just as dominant in his third NFL season in 2003 as a key piece of the Panthers\u2019 Super Bowl defense. Jenkins\u2019 17.0 sacks with the team rank second in franchise history among defensive tackles, and he also is the team\u2019s all-time leader in tackles at his position. Prior to the 2008 season, Jenkins was traded to the <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonprofootball.com\/nfl-teams\/jets\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">New York Jets<\/a> for a third and fifth-round pick. The third-round choice ended up producing another all-time starter in Charles Godfrey.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3>Defensive End: Mike Rucker<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Given a slight edge over <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/J\/JohnCh98.htm\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Charles Johnson<\/strong><\/a>,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/R\/RuckMi20.htm\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Mike Rucker<\/strong><\/a> earns the second defensive end spot on this roster. Rucker spent all nine of his NFL seasons with Carolina and is currently third all-time in both sacks and tackles for loss as a Panther. Rucker\u2019s most dominant stretch came from 2001-2003, where he sacked the quarterback 31 times, forced 8 fumbles, recorded 14 passes defensed. He made the Pro Bowl for the only time in his career in 2003 when the Panthers went to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/boxscores\/200402010car.htm\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Super Bowl XXXVIII<\/a>. Rucker continues to give back to Charlotte through charitable efforts, as well as working as a commentator on the Panthers Television Network.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3>Outside Linebacker: Thomas Davis<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">No defensive player has ever played more games for the Panthers than <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/D\/DaviTh20.htm\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Thomas Davis<\/strong><\/a>. In 13 seasons with the team, Davis racked up over 1,110 tackles, 18 forced fumbles and 87 tackles for loss. For years, he was regarded as the \u201cheart and soul\u201d of the Carolina defense. On top of his stellar on-field performance and leadership, Davis remained committed to the team, becoming the first-known player to ever return from three ACL tears in the same knee.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Thomas Davis Sr Highlights || 2015-2017 || Carolina Panthers ||\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/ohU2eJpUDrM?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">During the mid-to-late portion of his Panthers tenure, Davis firmly entrenched himself as a leader and star of this current era of Panthers football. <a href=\"https:\/\/lwosonnfl.ms.lastwordonsports.com\/2019\/01\/10\/panthers-announce-thomas-davis-will-not-return\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Respected around the league<\/a> for his integrity, toughness, and ability, Davis is certainly one of the biggest fan-favorites and most influential players in franchise history.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3>Middle Linebacker: Luke Kuechly<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">After being selected ninth overall by the Panthers in 2012, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/K\/KuecLu00.htm\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Luke Kuechly<\/strong><\/a> has been one of, if not the best, middle linebackers in all of football. He has led the league in tackles on two separate occasions and already ranks eighty-third all-time in career tackles. Kuechly has been named to the Pro Bowl in six straight seasons and has earned All-Pro honors in five of the past six years. At only 28, the 2013 AP Defensive Player of the Year has already become the best linebacker in Panthers history and has an opportunity to become one of the best ever. Barring injury, Kuechly will continue to climb leaderboards and break records for years to come, and when all is said and done, he should become a Hall of Famer.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3>Outside Linebacker: Kevin Greene<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Often forgotten by today\u2019s Panthers fans, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/G\/GreeKe00.htm\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Kevin Greene<\/strong><\/a> was nearly unblockable in two stints with Carolina. In only three seasons with the organization, Greene tallied 41.5 sacks and led the Panthers in that particular statistic all three years. Greene made two Pro Bowls with Carolina and was once named an All-Pro while with the team. He ranks fifth all-time in franchise history in sacks. He was part of the Panthers\u2019 1996 season, in which the team finished second in team defense, won its first division title and earned its first postseason victory. Greene is one of two former Panthers to be enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, as he was inducted in 2016.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3>Cornerback: Chris Gamble<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As a first-round choice in 2004, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/G\/GambCh20.htm\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Chris Gamble<\/strong><\/a> made an immediate splash in the Panthers defense his rookie year. He picked off six passes, batted 14 balls and racked up 74 tackles. All total, Gamble either led or tied for the team lead in interceptions six times over nine seasons with Carolina. Gamble was so good that he is the franchise\u2019s all-time leader in interceptions, as well as in tackles among cornerbacks. Two times he finished in the top-six in interceptions, and his 98 passes defended rank in the top-sixty all-time. Although Gamble never made any Pro Bowls or got any major recognition, he was consistently a ball-hawking corner for the Panthers, and his on-field performance qualifies him as the organization\u2019s best cornerback to date.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3>Cornerback: Josh Norman<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Despite a wildly inconsistent first few seasons with the Panthers that led to multiple benchings, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/N\/NormJo01.htm\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Josh Norman<\/strong><\/a> burst onto the scene with a dominant 2015 season. During that magical 15-1 season, Norman intercepted four passes, forced three fumbles and recorded two pick-sixes. He was so dominant that opposing quarterbacks often opted not to throw his direction, and when they did, they found little success.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=D5r3Ey2U-jc<\/p>\n<p>Throughout 2015, he allowed one of the lowest passer ratings when targeted, and was a huge reason for the Panthers\u2019 Super Bowl run. While players such as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/D\/DaviEr00.htm\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Eric Davis<\/strong><\/a>, <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/M\/MarsRi20.htm\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Richard Marshall<\/a>,\u00a0<\/strong>and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/L\/LucaKe20.htm\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Ken Lucas<\/strong><\/a> are also deserving of this roster spot, none of them had a season quite as Norman had in 2015. Unfortunately for Norman and the Panthers, 2015 would be his last in Carolina.<\/p>\n<h3>Free Safety: Charles Godfrey<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As noted earlier, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/G\/GodfCh99.htm\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Charles Godfrey<\/strong><\/a> was drafted by Carolina in the third round in the 2008 draft and earned a spot on the all-time team. Godfrey spent his first seven NFL seasons with the Panthers, where he intercepted 11 passes, knocked away 33 more, and forced seven fumbles. Being a safety who could effectively defend the run as well as the pass, he was a player the Panthers knew they could depend on, as he was a key part of the Carolina defense for several seasons. Godfrey places second among safeties in team history in both interceptions and total tackles.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3>Strong Safety: Mike Minter<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A life-long Panther, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/M\/MintMi21.htm\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Mike Minter<\/strong><\/a> spent his entire ten-year NFL career with Carolina, and over that span, he almost never missed a game. Minter leads all safeties in career interceptions, passes defensed, total tackles, tackles for loss and sacks while with the franchise. Known for being a physical defender and sure tackler, Minter served as a reliable veteran presence both on and off the field for a decade and continues to do so as the head coach of Campbell University\u2019s football team, which is just north of Charlotte. Throughout and following his career, Minter made himself perhaps the team\u2019s most important defensive back of all-time.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>SEE ALSO:\u00a0<\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonprofootball.com\/2019\/06\/20\/panthers-all-time-offense\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Carolina Panthers All-Time Starting Offense<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Main Photo:<br \/>\n<a id=\"97XZd0gbQTV7j3DxVbHXew\" class=\"gie-single\" style=\"color: #a7a7a7; text-decoration: none; font-weight: normal !important; border: none; display: inline-block;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.gettyimages.com\/detail\/456080224\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Embed from Getty Images<\/a><script>window.gie=window.gie||function(c){(gie.q=gie.q||[]).push(c)};gie(function(){gie.widgets.load({id:'97XZd0gbQTV7j3DxVbHXew',sig:'rJyxwlqlDAjlLP3G3na7B2_vRCa7aOqEEreiLtf4JoE=',w:'594px',h:'396px',items:'456080224',caption: true ,tld:'com',is360: false })});<\/script><script src='\/\/embed-cdn.gettyimages.com\/widgets.js' charset='utf-8' async><\/script><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>2019 will mark the Carolina Panthers\u2019 25th season as a member of the NFL. Which defensive players have been the best in franchise history.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3106,"featured_media":68672,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[30,54],"tags":[329,61,139,532,1644,340,1183],"class_list":["post-68610","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-panthers","category-editorials","tag-carolina-panthers","tag-football","tag-josh-norman","tag-julius-peppers","tag-kawann-short","tag-luke-kuechly","tag-thomas-davis"],"modified_by":"David Latham, Managing Editor","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/68610","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3106"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=68610"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/68610\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/68672"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=68610"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=68610"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=68610"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}