Draft History: Panthers reach two Super Bowls thanks to key draft picks

The Carolina Panthers have yet to win a Super Bowl, but have appeared in the “big game” twice. In Super Bowl XXXVIII after the 2003 season, Jake Delhomme (as well as two-star receivers from previous drafts) fell to the Patriots on a last-second field goal. Carolina ended the 2015 season with a franchise-best 15-1 record and a trip to Super Bowl 50. Although the Broncos won that game, five Panthers starters appear on the team’s best draft pick list. 

BEST

10. Charles Johnson, DE (Round 3, Pick 83 in 2007) - The Panthers found a steal in the third round in 2007. The Georgia product spent all 11 NFL seasons with Carolina and ranks second in team history with 67½ sacks, including double-digit totals three times. Johnson registered five tackles, a sack and a forced fumble in Super Bowl 50. 

9. Ryan Kalil, C (Round 2, Pick 59 in 2007) - Kalil was drafted after a standout career at USC and finished his 12 Carolina seasons with five Pro Bowl and two All-Pro selections, with the final one of each coming in 2015. Before signing with the Jets last August, Kalil was a stalwart who regularly played in more than 90 percent of Carolina’s offensive snaps and averaged just two penalties a year. 

8. DeAngelo Williams, RB (Round 1, Pick 27 in 2006) - The former Memphis star ranks second in team history with 6,846 yards and third with 46 touchdowns in nine seasons. In 2008, Williams had 1,515 yards and a league-leading 18 touchdowns, and he made his only Pro Bowl with 1,117 yards and seven scores the following year. He just missed playing in Super Bowl 50 after he signed with Pittsburgh before the 2015 season. 

7. Thomas Davis, LB (Round 1, Pick 14 in 2005) - Like Kalil, Davis was also a Pro Bowler and an All-Pro in 2015. He is the franchise leader with 1,098 tackles and 789 solo stops. Davis also tied for most in team history with 11 fumble recoveries and ranks second with 18 forced fumbles, seventh with 13 interceptions and eighth with 28 sacks. The three-time Pro Bowler and 2014 NFL Walter Payton Man of the Year winner had seven tackles in Super Bowl 50. 

6. Muhsin Muhammad, WR (Round 2, Pick 43 in 1996) - “Moose” ranks second in team history with 696 receptions, 9,255 yards and 50 touchdowns in 11 seasons with Carolina. Muhammad led the NFL with 102 receptions in 2000 and topped the league with 1,405 yards and 16 touchdowns in his 2004 All-Pro and Pro Bowl season. The Michigan State product had four catches for 140 yards and a score in Super Bowl XXXVIII.

5. Julius Peppers, DE (Round 1, Pick 2 in 2002) - Peppers is the all-time franchise leader with 97 sacks, including seven seasons with 10 or more. He earned Defensive Rookie of the Year honors after a 12-sack season in 2002. Two years later, Peppers earned the first of five Pro Bowl and two All-Pro selections after posting 11 sacks and returning an interception and a fumble for touchdowns. He had nine tackles, a sack and a pick in Carolina’s four-game playoff run in 2003, including Super Bowl XXXVIII. 

4. Christian McCaffrey, RB (Round 1, Pick 8 in 2017) - McCaffrey takes the term “dual-threat” to another level. Despite playing just three seasons, he already ranks fifth on the club list with 2,920 rushing yards and 24 touchdowns. The son of former NFL receiver, Ed McCaffrey also sits fifth with 303 catches and sixth with 2,523 receiving yards. McCaffrey’s 2019 season included Pro Bowl and All-Pro selections, 1,387 yards and 15 scores rushing, and a running back-record 116 catches and 1,005 receiving yards. 

3. Luke Kuechly, LB (Round 1, Pick 9 in 2012) - Kuechly recently retired after what could end up being a Hall of Fame career, albeit a short one. He led the league with 164 tackles en route to winning Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2012 and made the Pro Bowl in each of his other seven seasons. “Captain America” also had five All-Pro selections and registered more than 100 tackles in all eight seasons (while also leading the NFL again with 153 in 2014). Kuechly ranks second in Panthers history with 1,092 tackles and 690 solo stops. He had 10 tackles against Denver in Super Bowl 50.

2. Steve Smith, WR (Round 3, Pick 74 in 2001) - Smith started his career with Pro Bowl and All-Pro selections as a kick returner in 2001, and he was a five-time Pro Bowler and two-time All-Pro in 13 seasons with the Panthers. He holds team records with 836 receptions, 12,197 yards, and 67 touchdowns. After registering his first of seven 1,000-yard seasons with Carolina in 2003, Smith had 80 yards and a score in Super Bowl XXXVIII. Two years later, he won the receiving “triple crown,” leading the league and setting career highs with 103 catches, 1,563 yards, and 12 touchdowns. Carolina cut Smith after the 2013 season, and he spent the final three years with Baltimore. 

1. Cam Newton, QB (Round 1, Pick 1 in 2011) - Newton tops the franchise list with 29,041 yards and 182 touchdowns. He was a Pro Bowler and the Offensive Rookie of the Year after throwing for a career-high 4,051 yards and 21 touchdowns. “Superman” earned league MVP and Offensive Player of the Year honors, and was also a Pro Bowler and an All-Pro in 2015 after posting 3,837 yards and 35 scores to just 10 interceptions. Newton had 335 yards and two touchdowns in a win over the Cardinals in the 2015 NFC Championship Game before the Broncos held him in check during Super Bowl 50. He missed most of the 2019 season after suffering a Lisfranc fracture in his left foot that required surgery, and his future is uncertain after Carolina hired former Baylor coach Matt Rhule. 

WORST

10. Mitch Marrow, DE (Round 3, Pick 73 in 1998) - With the Panthers being such a new franchise, the “worst” list might not include as many high picks. Marrow was a two-time All-Ivy League selection and a preseason All-American as a senior. After being drafted, he missed the 1998 season after suffering a ruptured spinal disc during training camp. Another back injury the following year forced him to retire, but he found success managing a hedge fund. 

9. Dwayne Jarrett, WR (Round 2, Pick 45 in 2007) - Scouts thought Jarrett was similar to fellow USC product Keyshawn Johnson, but the two had many different career results. While Johnson was a three-time Pro Bowler with the Jets and Buccaneers, Jarrett never really latched on with the Panthers. He was stuck behind Smith and Muhammad on the depth chart and posted just 428 yards in four seasons. Carolina cut Jarrett in 2010 after his second DUI/DWI arrest in three years. 

8. Bruce Nelson, G (Round 2, Pick 50 in 2003) - Nelson played just one game over two seasons due to hip injuries. He now works with the high school team in his hometown of Emmetsburg, Iowa. The Panthers could have had David Diehl, a 2009 Pro Bowler and two-time Super Bowl winner with the Giants. 

7. Eric Shelton, RB (Round 2, Pick 54 in 2005) - Sheldon lost his rookie season due to a broken foot, and had just eight carries for 29 yards overall in nine games. The Panthers released him in 2007 and a neck injury prevented him from appearing in the NFL again. Shelton is best known for being on the We TV show “My Big Fat Fabulous Wedding,” but Carolina could have had Marion Barber, Brandon Jacobs or Darren Sproles, who had “big fat fabulous” NFL careers. 

6. Kelvin Benjamin, WR (Round 1, Pick 28 in 2014) - The Florida State product started off strong, with 1,949 yards and 16 touchdowns in his first two seasons. However, he missed the 2015 season (and Super Bowl 50) after suffering a torn ACL. The Panthers traded him to the Bills midway through the 2017 season, but he has not been the same during stops in Buffalo and Kansas City. 

5. Jeff Otah, T (Round 1, Pick 19 in 2008) - Otah’s career was done in by knee injuries that limited him to just 29 games in four years and cost him the 2010 season. He was sent to the Jets in 2012 but failed two physicals which voided the trade. The Panthers then released him and he never played in the NFL again. 

4. Rashard Anderson, CB (Round 1, Pick 23 in 2000) - The Jackson State alum played in 12 games as a rookie and followed that with 47 tackles and an interception in 15 games in the 2001 season. Anderson was suspended for a year after a violation of the NFL’s substance-abuse policy and had the ban extended another year after failing to meet requirements for reinstatement. The Panthers released Anderson after he was finally reinstated by the league and he never appeared in another game as a professional.

3. Jimmy Clausen, QB (Round 2, Pick 48 in 2010) - The year before the Panthers drafted Newton, they took a chance on Clausen, the 2006 USA Today Offensive Player of the Year winner as a senior in high school. Clausen took over after starter Matt Moore suffered a concussion, but he was plagued by inconsistent play and a dispute with Smith on the sidelines during his first start. After a 1-9 record, Clausen fell to third-string once the Panthers drafted Newton and signed Derek Anderson, and he spent two years at that spot and another on the team’s practice squad before signing with the Bears in 2014. 

2. Jason Peter, DE (Round 1, Pick 14 in 1998) - Peter was a two-time All-Big 12 and a 1997 All-American at Nebraska. He played in 38 games and had 7½ sacks in four seasons before chronic injuries stemming from a neck stinger forced him to retire. Peter’s post-playing career included being a high school coach, a radio host and the author of a book that detailed his dependence on heroin, cocaine, pain relievers, and alcohol. 

1. Rae Carruth, WR (Round 1, Pick 27 in 1997) - Players usually end up on the “worst” list because of either poor or inconsistent play, injury or off-the-field issues. That was certainly the case with Carruth, a Colorado product who had 545 yards and four touchdowns in 1997 and made the All-Rookie Team. He lost most of the 1998 season with a broken right foot and played six games mostly as a reserve the following year. However, his life was controlled by poor choices involving women. Carruth neglected a child he fathered as a sophomore until his college girlfriend sued for child support. However, that was not even close to his worst incident. Another girlfriend, Charlotte real estate agent Cherica Adams, was eight months pregnant when she was shot four times on November 16, 1999. In her 9-1-1 call, Adams said two cars stopped by hers, one driven by Carruth and the other by one of his associates, night club manager Van Brett Watkins Sr., who fired the shots. Carruth preemptively posted $3 million bail if a death resulted from the incident, but fled from police after Adams fell into a coma and later died. He was picked up in western Tennessee in mid-December. While his lawyer said the incident was part of a drug deal gone bad, Carruth was later convicted of conspiracy to commit murder after Adams had refused to abort the child, who suffered permanent brain damage and cerebral palsy due to lack of oxygen. Carruth spent 18 years in prison and was released in 2018. 

Next: Arizona Cardinals

-By: Kevin Rakas

Writer

THE RIGHT MAN FOR THE JOB? - Grading the NFL Coaching Carousel

The offseason isn’t even here yet for everyone, but some teams have been making some key personnel changes. There were five coaching openings on teams that didn’t make the postseason. Four out of the five have already made their decision on their new replacement coaches. Every team feels as though the changes they made are for the best, but for public opinion, is that the same case? We will review these changes and then the potential best fit for the last opening spot over the next few days.

Washington Redskins- Ron Rivera

We will start with the first hiring of the early offseason. Redskins let Jay Gruden go early on in the year and feel it was time for a change. Their decision for change was to go with a well-known coach with a background in winning and being a great developer of men, Ron “Riverboat” Rivera. He was the former coach of the Panthers. He had winning seasons for the first couple of years including a Super Bowl berth in 2015. They might have been smacked in that game, but that was more due to a defense that was playing as well as any in history. Rivera was fired not too long after Gruden during this regular season because of another losing skid in the second half of the season. Unfortunately for him, his star quarterback, Cam Newton, was playing hurt towards the end of the 2018 season and only played in two games this past season before basically being shut down all year. In most people’s opinion, Rivera will do wonders for a team that needs to get a philosophical change in terms of team culture and defensive scheme. While he does that, he will also be able to groom Haskins with the help of a good quarterback coach to a valued and star quarterback. Only time will tell whether this will work, but in my opinion, they need to at least give him two to three years to see how this works out. Haskins needs time to develop, the defense needs to get the right fits for it in place, and the culture needs to start believing they are winner again after such mediocrity with Jay Gruden the last few years. 

Current state: C-

At Hire: B+

Potential: A

Dallas Cowboys- Mike McCarthy

Mostly everyone in the country other than Jerry Jones liked Jason Garrett. For the last few years, people have either been just ok or hated the way he has coached a very talented Dallas Cowboys team. In his nine seasons as head coach, he went 8-8 four times and only won only two playoff games in that span. When you have a team that includes a hall of fame tight end, multiple stars on the offense and the defense and one young RB that lead the league in rushing twice in four years, you want more success from your team. Finally, they parted ways with Garrett and have hired someone most people feel like is an upgrade, but only marginally. Jones went out and hired Mike McCarthy, formerly the Green Bay Packers long-time head coach. McCarthy has been known for having great discipline and a pedigree of winning. He was with the Packers for 12 years and lead them to nine straight playoff appearances. One of the appearances includes a Super Bowl to start off the 2010’s while about three more went as far as the conference championship round. He was a constant force in the NFC for many years recording over 120 wins which is one of the top five over that span. He was fired from the Packers though because his last two years with the Packers seen the once-promising team, miss the playoffs twice in back to back seasons. People were saying the offense was predictable and stagnant under his watch and it relied too heavily on Aaron Rodgers to make something happen. After his firing, he didn’t get upset but decided that the media and the public might have been right. He took a year off from coaching to watch film and learn more from his past mistakes. He watched more innovative football to try and keep up with the times so he can once again coach a team and adapt to the new offensive football landscape with the RPO’s and zone reads that have become more popular today. Armed with his new knowledge and his updated schemes and philosophies, Jerry Jones thought this would be a good fit for the Cowboys. Now you have a team that is as talented as any in the league with a coach that is disciplined and knows what it takes to win at the highest level. This should be a match made in heaven. Some people are still doubter that McCarthy has changed his ways but for me, I say the NFC East needs to watch out for a Cowboys team that not only can have good talented guys but can play like a good team that works hard as well.

Current State: C+

At Hire:  B

Potential: A

Carolina Panthers- Matt Rhule

In any job when there is new management, unless the people that were there before are exceptionally good at their jobs, they get fired or are on notice to watch out. Ron Rivera showed that he might not have been the best man for this particular job anymore, so he was fired midway through this last season. In the offseason, there were many speculations going on about who should get the job and many thoughts that new owner David Tepper would get his guy he personally liked the best. In the end, we found that out very quickly when they announced they would be hiring Baylor head coach Matt Rhule as the new head coach for the Carolina Panthers. This will be his first head coaching position at the NFL level, but his collegiate level is well known and highly respected. He was the head coach at Temple and Baylor. When at Temple, he led them to great success including a win over Penn State, something that hadn’t been done since 1941. While doing this he led them to a 10-2 record and a berth in the conference championship game. He followed that performance up with another conference championship berth and a win, something that hadn’t been done since 1967. After his time at Temple, he was hired at Baylor as the new head coach after the Art Briles scandal. He had to rebuild the culture and image of that program. His first year didn’t end well, but he rebounded with a win in the Texas Bowl the next year to finish from 1-11 to 7-6. This year he had great success and led his team to an 11-2 record. Unfortunately, he dropped the last two games of the year, one to Oklahoma before they went to the CFB playoffs. The second was against Georgia in the Sugar Bowl. Ultimately, Rhule has shown to be a guy that can build up a great culture and a winning pedigree collegiately and as a former assistant to Tom Coughlin’s New York Giants in 2012, he knows what it takes to win at the NFL level. This hiring was a good choice and what I like most about it is the contract length they issued to him. He was a given a 7 year-62 million-dollar contract to coach them. This type of signing will give him job security and the time to build up a winning record and get his time of guys in the built to see what he can do and produce from a team of his choosing. 

Current state: C+

At Hire: B

Potential: A-

New York Giants- Joe Judge

In the media capital of the world, the New York Giants have a solid core on offense, and a defense that has some pieces in place to grow. They thought that Pat Shurmur could have been the guy to make this grow, but he failed and was handed his papers this offseason. Now the Giants are in the market for a new head coach and particularly someone that can develop the young offensive core and grow the defense into a force. Their decision led them to, Joe Judge. This choice was one of the weirdest in all the hires this early offseason. Joe Judge is a former wide receiver and special teams’ coaches for the Patriots. Yes, he has learned something from one of the best coaches in the NFL, but does he qualify to get a head coaching position. Before his time with the Patriots, Joe Judge was a special team coordinator for Alabama for three years. Then he went on to work with the Pats from 2012 to 2019. He held the positions of special assistant and coordinator while also working as the wide receivers’ coach. Other than that, there isn’t much to back up the Giants decision. Hopefully, they don’t regret their decision because they decided to pick fast since they didn’t get who they really wanted in Matt Rhule.  In my opinion, they will be looking for another coach in two years and then they will need a coach that can truly grow a culture and has a background in developing a team to new levels. Whether it be a Marvin Lewis type or an Andy Reid type of guy. This will be the most interesting hire to watch of all the current ones to date. 

Current state: C

At Hire: C+

Potential: B+

-By: Darren Braxton

Writer/Interviewer