Carolina Panthers top three draft steals of all-time

Mike Rucker

Another “Mike” on this list, Mike Rucker was a defensive end who played his heart out on every single snap. Drafted in the second round with the 38th overall pick, Rucker played from 1999-2007. He played in 139 games, starting 106 of them. He was known as a defensive player who was not afraid to get his hands up, and would often use his skills to deflect passes and disrupt the flow of the offense. A nightmare for offensive lineman, Rucker would enjoy a solid career.

Recording a combined 416 tackles, his best year would undoubtedly be 2003. In a year that saw him make the Pro Bowl, he was a monster pass rusher. Recording 12 sacks 58 tackles six pass deflections, and a forced fumble, he was all over the place in the best possible way. He was a big reason why the Carolina Panthers made it to the Super Bowl that season. Sacking the quarterback would be nothing new for Rucker as he would tally 10 sacks the year before. He truly was a huge part of the Panthers aggressive defense, and he was certainly worth the draft pick.

ProFootballReference.com has him ranked the 13th overall player in the organization’s history, and I think that’s the perfect spot for him. Lucky number 13 is a great number, especially when you consider the amount of talented players that have gone through what is a relatively young organization. He played tough, he played hard, and he was a huge part of shaping the Carolina Panthers organization into what it is today. He said the blueprint for what a defensive player should be, and it has been something the organization has strived for ever since.