5 scariest Carolina Panthers players in franchise history

Sean Gilbert – DT

Sean Gilbert‘s five-year stint with the Carolina Panthers came with mixed success. But when the defensive lineman was firing on all cylinders there weren’t many scarier players in the NFL.

The former No. 3 overall pick joined the Panthers after missing the 1997 season due to a contract dispute in Washington. This was ground-breaking at the time and although it is seen plenty in today’s NFL, it was a pretty rare occurrence back then.

Gilbert was a commanding presence on the line of scrimmage who has the ability to throw opposing linemen around like rag dolls. Consistency was something of a problem for the player, which ensured he never quite reached the heights of his sophomore campaign when he recorded 10.5 sacks.

That being said, show me someone who looked forward to facing Gilbert, and I’ll show you a liar.

When Gilbert got up a head of steam, then it was game over more often than not. He was a scary force that ended his time in Carolina with 15.5 sacks, 141 solo tackles, 14 tackles for loss, nine passes defended, and six forced fumbles, which represented solid production without quite getting to the level his potential demanded.

There will always be the question of what might have been regarding Gilbert’s career. But that doesn’t mean he wasn’t an extremely scary player he was at the top of his game.