Yes, we know that this is taking a while!

As many of you know, we at Notinhalloffame.com are slowly generating the top 50 of each major North American sports team. That being said, we maintain and update our existing Top 50 lists annually.  We are pleased to present our pre-2026 revision of our top 50 Carolina Panthers.

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

1.  Duration and Impact.

2.  Traditional statistics and how they finished in the National Football League.

3.  Advanced Statistics.

4.  Playoff performance.

5. Their respective legacy on the team.

6. How successful the team was when he was there.

7. Respecting the era in which they played.

Criteria 1-4 will make up the lion’s share of the algorithm.  Please note that we have implemented this for the first time.  This has changed the rankings all throughout the board.

Last year, the Panthers had a losing record (8-9), but still won the NFC South, thus making the playoffs.  There was one new entrant and two elevations based on last season.

As always, we present our top five, which saw no changes.

1. Luke Kuechly
2. Steve Smith
3. Cam Newton
4. Julius Peppers
5. Ryan Kalil

You can find the complete list here:

Offensive Tackle Taylor Moton moved from #26 to #22.

Defensive Lineman Derrick Brown climbed to #34 from #43.

Wide Receiver Jaycee Horn makes his debut at #48.

We thank you for your continued support of our lists on Notinhalloffame.com.

Taken with the eighth overall pick in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft out of South Carolina, Jaycee Horn arrived in Charlotte as an instant cornerstone piece for the defense. The son of former Pro Bowl wide receiver Joe Horn, Jaycee brought elite size, length, and aggressive press-man technique to the boundary.

Horn stepped into the starting lineup as a rookie and immediately demonstrated shutdown potential. However, a fractured foot in Week 3 abruptly halted his debut season. When healthy, Horn proved to be one of the most gifted boundary defenders in the league, possessing the size and makeup to lock down opposing primary receivers. He delivered a strong bounce-back campaign in 2022, recording three interceptions, seven passes defensed, and 53 total tackles across 13 starts while holding opposing quarterbacks to an elite passer rating when targeted.

After navigating additional injury setbacks in 2023, Horn's elite potential fully materialized as an elite force when he put together his healthiest and most dominant season in 2024. Starting 16 games, Horn earned his first career Pro Bowl selection after locking down primary targets week after week, tallying an interception, 13 passes defensed, and a career-high 67 total tackles.

Entering the 2026 season as the established leader of Carolina's secondary, Horn has played in 38 regular-season games (all starts) through his first four playing years, accumulating four interceptions, 25 passes defensed, and 160 total tackles.