Carolina Panthers: 5 best draft picks of all-time

1. Steve Smith, Wide Receiver (Round 3, Pick 74, 2001)

As the old adage goes, when you can draft a future NFL Hall-of-Famer in the third round, you’ve pretty much got to do it. It’s a good thing that the Carolina Panthers followed that advice in the 2001 NFL Draft, when they selected one of the most iconic figures in franchise history: wide receiver Steve Smith.

In fairness, it’s not hard to see why Steve Smith wasn’t considered a first-round talent coming into the draft. At just 5-9 at a position where size can be paramount, and coming from a school like Utah that wasn’t nearly as prominent in the college football landscape as it is today, Smith really wasn’t considered a serious receiving threat. That’s why there were 10 wide receivers taken ahead of him in that draft. In hindsight, the only two of those whose selection ahead of Smith is remotely defensible are Chad Ochocinco (nee Johnson) and Reggie Wayne.

However, the Panthers saw his value and ended up with arguably the most legendary player in the history of the franchise. Before parting ways after the 2013 season, Smith played 13 seasons in Carolina, catching 836 passes for 12,197 yards and 67 touchdowns. Smith may have been among the Panthers’ five best draft picks no matter where he was taken. That they got him in Round 3 makes it all the better.