I can't get the rows to line up right, but here goes:
Rookie Years:
Julius Peppers
Year Team................. G Total Tckl Ast Sacks Int Yds Avg Lg TD Pass Def
2002 Carolina Panthers 12 35 28.0 7 12 1 21 21.0 21 0 4
5 forced fumbles
NFL Rookie of the Year
That year he became only the third player in NFL history to amass three sacks and an interception in the same game
Went to the Super Bowl his second year in the league.
Dwight Freeney
Year Team................. G Total Tckl Ast Sacks Int Yds Avg Lg TD Pass Def
2002 Indianapolis Colts 16 41 40.0 1 13 0 0 0.0 0 0 1
9 forced fumbles
Runner up for defensive rookie of the year to Carolina's Julius Peppers
His 40 sacks in his first three seasons rank 3rd-most by a player to start an NFL career.
Reggie White
Stats for the old school folks aren't kept as well as current players.
Reggie launched his pro career with the USFL's Memphis Showboats (1984-85), posting 193 tackles (120 solo), 23.5 sacks and forcing 7 fumbles in 34 starts
Bruce Smith
YEAR TEAM .....G TOT SOLO AST PD SACK FF REC INT YDS TD
1985 BUFFALO 16 48 32 16 2 7 0 0 0 0 0
0 forced fumbles
He went from 7 sacks to 15 sacks from his rookie to second season. (This may be something to reflect about if people want to judge his performance based on his first season).
Hold the NFL record for most career quarterback sacks with 200
Played for 20 seasons.
Courtney Brown
Year Team .................G Total Tckl Ast Sacks Int Yds Avg Lg TD Pass Def
2000 Cleveland Browns 16 70 62.0 8 4.5 0 0 0.0 0 0 8
0 forced fumbles
I will finish up with some Julius Peppers draft notes.
Link: nfl.com
Prospect Profile
Julius Peppers
Position: Defensive End
College: North Carolina
Height: 6-6
Weight: 283
Hometown: Bailey, N.C.
ANALYSIS
Positives: Muscular athlete with a thick frame and well-defined upper torso
High-energy athlete who is very quick off the snap, easily slipping by blockers on stunts
Shows good arm power as he consistently outmuscles blockers in one-on-one situations
Very effective knifing through traffic, feeling pressure to react well while shedding blocks downfield
Chases hard to the opposite side of the field, determined to punish ball carriers with his forceful tackles
Shows a sharp short-area burst and is very comfortable making plays on the move
Displays the foot speed to get into the gaps, using his explosion to quickly flush the quarterback out of the pocket
Could shift inside to tackle at the pro level to take advantage of his agility and balance and punishing wrap-up tackling ability, but his quickness may be best served coming off the edge at end, especially in a 3-4 defensive alignment.
Negatives: Gets too upright at times, leading to misdirection as he tries to move through the pile
More of a straight-line charger, lacking the power to redirect inside, where he would be bounced around due to multiple blocks
Struggles to keep balance when sliding outside to contain the run
Poor hand usage will frequently see him get locked up by the blockers, as he allows them to get their hands into his chest.