Best draft picks in Carolina Panthers history
Stacker compiled a list of the best draft picks in Carolina Panthers history using career Weighted Approximate Value (wAV), a metric developed by Pro-Football-Reference.com to estimate career impact. The ranking also lists individual accolades such as Pro Bowl selections, First-Team All-Pro honors, and total years as a starter. Players were assigned to their originally drafted teams, excluding any draft-day trades. Data is as of April 2026.
#10. Jordan Gross (2003, Round 1, Pick 8)
- Position: T
- Career wAV: 69
- Pro Bowls: 3
- First-Team All-Pro: 1
- Games Played: 167
- Seasons as Starter: 11
#9. Ryan Kalil (2007, Round 2, Pick 59)
- Position: C
- Career wAV: 72
- Pro Bowls: 5
- First-Team All-Pro: 2
- Games Played: 155
- Seasons as Starter: 9
#8. Thomas Davis (2005, Round 1, Pick 14)
- Position: LB
- Career wAV: 80
- Pro Bowls: 3
- First-Team All-Pro: 1
- Games Played: 199
- Seasons as Starter: 12
#6. Muhsin Muhammad (1996, Round 2, Pick 43) (tie)
- Position: WR
- Career wAV: 83
- Pro Bowls: 2
- First-Team All-Pro: 1
- Games Played: 202
- Seasons as Starter: 12
#6. Kerry Collins (1995, Round 1, Pick 5) (tie)
- Position: QB
- Career wAV: 83
- Pro Bowls: 2
- First-Team All-Pro: 0
- Games Played: 198
- Seasons as Starter: 11
#5. Christian McCaffrey (2017, Round 1, Pick 8)
- Position: RB
- Career wAV: 86
- Pro Bowls: 4
- First-Team All-Pro: 3
- Games Played: 112
- Seasons as Starter: 6
#4. Luke Kuechly (2012, Round 1, Pick 9)
- Position: LB
- Career wAV: 91
- Pro Bowls: 7
- First-Team All-Pro: 5
- Games Played: 118
- Seasons as Starter: 8
#3. Steve Smith Sr. (2001, Round 3, Pick 74)
- Position: WR
- Career wAV: 102
- Pro Bowls: 5
- First-Team All-Pro: 2
- Games Played: 219
- Seasons as Starter: 14
#2. Cam Newton (2011, Round 1, Pick 1)
- Position: QB
- Career wAV: 115
- Pro Bowls: 3
- First-Team All-Pro: 1
- Games Played: 148
- Seasons as Starter: 9
#1. Julius Peppers (2002, Round 1, Pick 2)
- Position: DE
- Career wAV: 130
- Pro Bowls: 9
- First-Team All-Pro: 3
- Games Played: 266
- Seasons as Starter: 16
Copyright 2026 Stacker Media, LLC
This story was originally published April 21, 2026 at 12:28 PM.