The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame annual classes always elicits passionate reactions, but we here at Notinhalloffame.com have been open on our belief that they are trending in the right direction. Gene Simmons, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member, and founding member of KISS slammed the Class of 2021, citing the snubs of nominees, Rage Against the Machine and Iron Maiden.

Sadly, Rage Against The Machine shut out of RR Hall of Fame. The Hall should be ashamed of themselves….

— Gene Simmons (@genesimmons) May 13, 2021

Simmons has been critical about the Hall before, first regarding the long wait that his band endured, and then when they did get in, that they only inducted the original four members. RATM member, Tom Morello, was KISS’s inductor, and is a member of the Rock Hall committee, who pushed hard for KISS’s induction.

Yes, we know that this is taking a while!

As many of you know, we here at Notinhalloffame.com are slowly generating the 50 of each major North American sports team.  That being said, we have existing Top 50 lists out and we always consistently look to update them when we can and based on necessity.  As such, we are very happy to present our pre-2021 revision of our top 50 Carolina Panthers of all-time.

As for all of our top 50 players in football we look at the following: 

1.  Advanced Statistics.

2.  Traditional statistics and how they finished in the NFL. 

3.  Playoff accomplishments.

4.  Their overall impact on the team and other intangibles not reflected in a stat sheet.

This our first revision in two years, with one significant jump and two new entries.

1. Steve Smith

2. Cam Newton

3. Luke Kuechly

4. Julius Peppers

5. Ryan Kalil

You can find the entire list here.

Running Back, Christian McCaffrey rockets up to #22, seventeen spots higher.

Linebacker, Shaq Thompson debuts at #46, and Wide Receiver, D.J. Moore enters at #48.

We welcome your input and comments and as always, we thank you for your support.

The Panthers grabbed D.J. Moore with their 2018 first-round pick (24th Overall) from Maryland, with the hopes that he would become their big-play engine and that he would be their primary target for five seasons over a period of quarterback flux.

The “YAC Monster” combined a 4.42 40-yard dash with a sturdy, running-back-style build. Playing outside and in the slot, his standout skill on film was after the catch—he was adept at turning short hitches, slants, and screens into big gains by leveraging his contact balance, quickness, and vision in open field to break tackles.

Moore made an immediate impact as a rookie in 2018, racking up 788 receiving yards and 172 rushing yards to earn PFWA All-Rookie Team honors. He elevated his production in 2019, breaking out with 87 receptions for 1,175 yards and four touchdowns.

That kicked off a stretch of three straight 1,100-yard receiving campaigns. In 2020, Moore recorded a career-high 18.1 yards per reception, tallying 1,193 receiving yards and four scores. He followed that up in 2021 by hauling in a team-high 93 passes for 1,157 yards.

During his final year in Charlotte (2022), Moore recorded 63 catches for 888 yards while catching a team-leading and career-high 7 touchdown passes—which accounted for a third of his total receiving touchdowns as a Panther.

In March 2023, Moore was traded to the Chicago Bears as part of the deal that sent the No. 1 overall pick to Carolina. During his five seasons with the Panthers (2018–2022), Moore started 73 of 80 games, with 364 receptions, 5,201 yards, 335 rushing yards, and 21 touchdowns.

From the University of Washington, Shaq Thompson was drafted in the first round (25th overall) of the 2015 NFL Draft.  Thompson arrived in Charlotte as a hyper-versatile, hybrid linebacker. Spending ten seasons in Western North Carolina, Thompson evolved into the heart and soul of Carolina’s defense, serving as a five-time team captain and one of the most productive tacklers in franchise history.

Thompson added a safety-like range and linebacker toughness to Carolina's defense. He initially excelled in the "Big Nickel" role alongside stars Luke Kuechly and Thomas Davis, showcasing rare fluid coverage that allowed him to mirror tight ends downfield. Meanwhile, he read plays well enough to shoot gaps in the run game. His quick closing speed and decisive tackling made him a dependable presence across the field.

Thompson established himself as a full-time starting linebacker during his 2015 rookie campaign as Carolina reached Super Bowl 50. After learning from Kuechly and Davis, Thompson took over as the primary defensive signal-caller in 2019. He immediately answered with his first 100-tackle season, recording 107 combined tackles and 3.0 sacks.

He extended that streak into a decade-defining run of consistency, posting 113 tackles in 2020, 97 tackles in 2021, and a career-best 123 tackles in 2022. Thompson's active playmaking and leadership held the defense together through multiple roster overhauls and coaching changes.

Injury misfortunes hindered the closing chapters of Thompson's tenure in Carolina. He suffered a fractured fibula in Week 2 of the 2023 season, limiting him to just two games. He returned as a captain in 2024, recording 34 tackles across four games before a torn Achilles tendon ended his campaign prematurely.

The Panthers mutually parted ways with the veteran linebacker as they transitioned to a younger core. He subsequently joined the Buffalo Bills for the 2025 campaign, leaving Carolina as the fourth all-time leading tackler in Panthers franchise history behind only Kuechly, Davis, and Mike Minter.  With Carolina, Thompson amassed 119 regular-season games (108 starts), recording 743 combined tackles, 12.0 sacks, 3 interceptions, and 4 forced fumbles.