NFC South All-Decade Team of 2000s: Julius Peppers leads edge rushers

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NFC South All-Decade Team of 2000s: Julius Peppers leads edge rushers

John Sigler, Saints Wire

Tue, Jul 7, 2026 ·

4 min read

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We've reached the other side of the ball in our look at the NFC South All-Decade Team of the 2000s, finally shifting gears from offense to defense. And it was the defense that defined the aughts in the decade, with multiple future Pro Football Hall of Famers busy sacking quarterbacks and intercepting their passes when they weren't tackling anyone else unfortunate enough to touch the football. Here are our picks for the best defensive ends and pass-rushing outside linebackers in the ealy days of the NFC South.

Methodology

One key stat we're relying on is Approximate Value from Pro Football Reference , which PFR defines as "an attempt to put a single number on the seasonal value of a player at any position from any year." In practice, that means giving higher numbers to player who start more games, play more snaps, and do more to help their team win by racking up yards, scoring touchdowns, creating turnovers and sacking quarterbacks, and so on. We're also assigning point values to being named a first-team All-Pro (ten points), second-team All-Pro (five points), and Pro Bowler (three points). And then we're adding those numbers together. Remember, these are all-decade teams for the NFC South, which didn't exist until 2002, and only contributions on the four teams in the division factor into our formula. So Drew Brees earning a Pro Bowl nod with the San Diego Chargers in 2005 doesn't help him, for example.

First team: Julius Peppers

New Orleans Saints' Drew Brees (9) is chased by the Carolina Panthers' Julius Peppers (90) during their NFL football game at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina, October 19, 2008. REUTERS/Chris Keane (UNITED STATES)

Team: Carolina Panthers (2002 to 2009)
AV: 98
Honors: All-Pro first team (2), All-Pro second team (2), Pro Bowler (5)
Score: 143

Peppers spent the Panthers' entire first decade in the NFC South with Carolina, and he made the most of his time there by racking up 81 sacks and winning either an All-Pro placement, Pro Bowl appearance, or AP Defensive Rookie of the Year award in all but two seasons. The homegrown superstar earned his place at the Pro Football Hall of Fame after continuing his career outside the division in the 2010s -- while Saints fans were happy to see him go, he returned for two more years in Carolina at the end of his career, finishing with 16 sacks across those two seasons. Cameron Jordan is hoping for a similar strong finish.

First team: Simeon Rice

New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees (9) passes into the endzone before getting tackled by Tampa Bay defensive end Simeon Rice (97) in the third quarter of their NFL football game in New Orleans October 8, 2006. REUTERS/Sean Gardner (UNITED STATES)

Team: Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2002 to 2006)
AV:60
Honors: All-Pro first team (1), All-Pro second team (1), Pro Bowler (2)
Score: 81

Rice was one of several outstanding Buccaneers defenders during this decade, along with future Pro Football Hall of Famers Derrick Brooks and Ronde Barber. And if not for them, he would be seen as the team's best defender in the 2000s. Rice piled up 69.5 sacks in just 87 regular season games but did his best work in the postseason, bagging five sacks across three playoff games on the way to a Super Bowl XXXVII win.

Second team: Mike Rucker

HARLOTTE, NC - OCTOBER 29: Defensive end Mike Rucker #93 of the Carolina Panthers waits at the line of scrimmage as the Dallas Cowboys huddle during the game on October 29, 2006 at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Cowboys won 35-14. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)

Team: Carolina Panthers (2002 to 2007)
AV: 52
Honors: Pro Bowler (1)
Score: 18

Rucker spent his entire nine-year career in Carolina, arriving as a second-round pick in the 1999 draft. And he was a steady starter all the way, earning a Pro Bowl nod in 2003 and starting all seven playoff games he appeared in. Rucker never played fewer than 14 games in a single season and was a key piece to some great Panthers teams. He retired at 32 after suffering a season-ending knee injury in Dec. 2006. and returning to start all 16 games in 2007.

Second team: Charles Grant

September 7, 2008; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Saints defensive end Charles Grant (94) is congratulated by teammates after sacking Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Jeff Garcia (not pictured) during the first quarter at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans. New Orleans defeated Tampa Bay 24-20. Mandatory Credit: Crystal LoGiudice-USA TODAY Sports

Team: New Orleans Saints (2002 to 2009)
AV: 54
Honors: N/A
Score: 54

Grant joined the Saints as a first-round pick in 2002 and spent the entire decade in New Orleans , rapidly climbing the leaderboard with 10-sack seasons in both 2003 and 2004. A 2007 ankle injury slowed him down and season-ending shoulder surgery forced him to miss the team's 2009 playoff run after starting all 16 games in the regular season. He was a good player when healthy but injuries mounted and ultimately ended his career sooner than expected.