5 scariest Carolina Panthers players in franchise history

Julius Peppers – DE

There were few scarier sights than Julius Peppers bullying his way into opposing backfields during his storied NFL career. The Carolina Panthers struck gold with the stud defensive end who will go down in team folklore as one of the greatest to ever turn out for the franchise over two different spells.

Few offensive tackles ever got the better of Peppers, and most were beaten before they’d even stepped onto the field. His imposing figure and tinted visor made him one of the more dominant physical specimens in recent memory, which was obviously matched by elite production that lasted 17 seasons – 10 of which were spent in Carolina.

Peppers displayed the sort of power, explosiveness, and speed that gave anyone who came up against him nightmares. He was a relentless force on the line of scrimmage who averaged 9.7 sacks-per-season during his decade with the Panthers, which represented exceptional production from the pass-rusher after he was taken No. 2 overall by the organization in the 2002 NFL Draft.

The former North Carolina standout did spend time away from the Panthers in favor of moves to the Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers. But it only seemed right that Peppers returned to finish his career at a place where he was adored by the team’s fanbase.

As for those unfortunate enough to line up against him, there were more than a few relieved sighs when Peppers eventually called it a day.