South Carolina Football: Top-15 Gamecock NFL Draft successes of all-time
By Kevin Miller
South Carolina Football’s No. 15 NFL Draft Success:
CB/Nickel/KR/PR Captain Munnerlyn
The smallest player on this list, Captain Munnerlyn (Round 7, Pick 216, 2009 NFL Draft; Carolina Panthers) was a playmaker during his three years playing for Steve Spurrier and the Gamecocks from 2006-2008, and he was a playmaker in the NFL. In addition to solid coverage skills, the diminutive defensive back was a good tackler and a good return man.
A player who would be even better in the modern game, Munnerlyn was a nickel corner who was forced to play outside, but he still had a very good professional career. Had he been able to play nickel full-time (something pretty common in the modern NFL), Munnerlyn would have likely made several Pro Bowls as that was where his skillset would have been best utilized. He was in the league for 11 seasons and owns Panthers franchise records for defensive touchdowns (both career and single-season). As far as 7th-round picks go, one can’t ask for much more.