4 former Panthers who should be Hall of Famers before Julian Edelman
By Dean Jones
Julius Peppers – Former Carolina Panthers DE
There are few defensive ends in NFL history that boast the credentials Julius Peppers managed to accumulate. He lived up to his billing and more when the Carolina Panthers selected him No. 2 overall in the 2002 NFL Draft, playing 17 seasons in the league and accumulating 159.5 sacks during this span.
Peppers was physically imposing and matched this with explosiveness that made him almost impossible to guard when firing on all cylinders. The three-time All-Pro might have spent some time away from Carolina after joining the Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers before rejoining the Panthers to end his career, but his legacy with the organization is something that will be hard for anyone to replicate.
His level of production and the fact Peppers was drafted out of North Carolina made him a fan favorite in no time at all. He was selected to the NFL’s All-Decade Teams in the 2000s and 2010s, made nine trips to the Pro Bowl, and was the league’s Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2002.
There is a good case to be made for Pepper being a first-ballot Hall of Famer as one of the game’s great pass-rushers. Although he does not have a Super Bowl ring to show from a phenomenal career, to say he has a far better case than Julian Edelman would be a massive understatement.