Welcome to the bright side of the NFL Draft, as we re-visit the 10 best picks in Carolina Panther history.
No. 3 best pick: DE Julius Peppers (2002)
Fresh off a 1–15 season in which they set an NFL record for most consecutive losses, the Panthers had some holes to fill in the 2002 NFL Draft.
They owned the No 2 overall pick, where one of the top quarterbacks would be available. But first-year GM Marty Hurney passed on Oregon’s Joey Harrington after the expansion Houston Texans selected Fresno State’s Derek Carr with the first pick, opting for a homegrown talent on the defensive line — North Carolina DE Julius Peppers
Peppers outlasted Carr, Harrington and every other member of the 2002 draft class except Josh McCown, recording 159.