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Top 10 Defensive Carolina Panthers of All-Time

By Joshua Dows

Nov 2, 2015; Charlotte, NC, USA; Carolina Panthers linebacker Luke Kuechly (59) calls out to his defense during the second half of the game against the Indianapolis Colts at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 2, 2015; Charlotte, NC, USA; Carolina Panthers linebacker Luke Kuechly (59) calls out to his defense during the second half of the game against the Indianapolis Colts at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Carolina Panthers Defense has been great over the years. They have had a lot of great players to contribute to that. I’ve made a list of the top 10 guys to grace the defensive side of the ball for the Cats.

10. Chris Gamble– A lot will disagree. Some will say he shouldn’t even be on this list but when healthy he produced. He finished with 27 total interceptions and 13 in his first 2 seasons.

9. Mike Rucker– 331 career tackles and 55.5 sacks. Rucker helped anchor a very good D-line along with Brentson Buckner and Kris Jenkins.

8. Charles Johnson– Johnson has had 63.5 sacks in his career with the Panthers. Even in rough times he was a beast at defensive end. The former Pro Bowler had a down year this season but has had 3 years with more than 10 sacks.

7. Mike Minter– 782 Tackles and 17 career picks for the safety. His leadership ability alone got him on this list. The hard hitting Minter sat the tone of the Panthers each and every Sunday.

6. Josh Norman– Norman has finally came on as an All-Pro shutdown corner. He only has 7 interceptions in his 4 years of playing but he has been very effective. Many balls don’t get thrown his way. He is regarded as the new Richard Sherman for his trash talking and shut down ability.

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5. Jon Beason– 583 tackles as a Panther before being traded back in 2013. He was a beast before the injuries started to kick in and a younger Luke Kuechly was drafted.

4. Kevin Greene– He was not a Panther his whole career but he was always unbelievable as a player. 41 sacks and 2 interceptions  in his 3 seasons here. He had 160 sacks in his career.

3. Thomas Davis– Thomas Davis a lifer and is one of the best linebackers in the NFL.  833 tackles, 23 sacks and 10 interceptions in his great career. Davis is making his first Pro Bowl this season.

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2. Julius Peppers– 79 sacks and 6 interceptions in his time with the team. This guy changed the defensive end position with his speed and great hands. He made it hard on quarterbacks for years in the NFC South. He could drop back in coverage or or rush the passer. A true trend setter at the position.

  1. Luke Kuechly– 371 tackles. 7 sacks. 11 interceptions. All of this in just 4 seasons. He is considered the best linebacker in the NFL. He plays sideline to sideline and has improved in his coverage. He was the defensive rookie of the year and followed that up by becoming the defensive player of the year in 2013. Some say he may be the defensive player of the year again this season. Luke is head and shoulders above the rest. So to me his awards plus the  numbers make him the greatest defensive Panther of all time.

Next: All Time Panther Team

I know some people will have words to pass because Sam Mills wasn’t on this list.  He only played 3 seasons with the Panthers and had only 10 sacks and a impressive 7 interceptions. But to me what he did in Carolina wasn’t enough to make the list. Although he was a NFL great. He didn’t play very long or do a whole lot in this time like say a Kevin Greene did.

I will be releasing the top 10 offensive players tomorrow. Enjoy.

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