Could Stanley McClover Steal Mike Rucker's Starting Job in Carolina?

Carolina Panthers defensive end Stanley McClover might have been higher than a 7th-round draft pick in 2006 had he stayed at Auburn another year. He racked up 15.5 sacks as a freshman and sophomore, but he left school early because he had to support his family.

The talent he showed as a high school superstar, though, may be on full display in Spartanburg right now. According to reports, McClover is getting reps with the first-team defense while Mike Rucker continues to rehab his knee, and he's looking fairly impressive out there.

A lot of people expected Charles Johnson, the Panthers' 3rd-round pick out of Georgia this year, to be the guy to step in for Rucker, but don't count McClover out. His early departure from Auburn turned a lot of teams off, but he's been a big talent at every level he's played, and he's never had a major injury to hamper his 4.7 40 speed. I suspect he and Johnson will get into a friendly little SEC rivalry, too, as they battle for playing time. Nobody from Auburn wants to get beaten by a Georgia guy.

Then again, if Rucker gets cleared to play this week as expected and returns to his old form, both McClover and Johnson may end up being backups. We'll see.