Once, the Carolina Panthers had big names on their defensive line.

Then they had just one in Julius Peppers.

Now, the Carolina Panthers have question marks, a group of young linemen who barely resemble previous traditions, but hope to grow into something that can carry the team into the future.

The early indications have been good, but the Panthers' new-look line will be tested against a veteran New York Giants front Sunday, and how they'll hold up remains a mystery.

"It's going to be exciting, because they've got some exciting players in there, and everybody's going to be hungry," former Panthers defensive end and preseason television analyst Mike Rucker said of the line he used to anchor. "I know it's probably hard for fans, because they just want to win now. But when you look at that group for the next few years, there's some nice upside, so they should be in good position.

"It's hard sometimes to look at the long haul, but I think people are going to see some big plays, and they're going to see some mistakes too. That's all part of growing."

Getting to this point has been a process for the Panthers, who used to be able to count on the defensive line as the bedrock of the defense.

The false front of the George Seifert era was supposed to be good, and at previous points in their careers the late Reggie White, Chuck Smith, Eric Swann and Sean Gilbert were. But that group didn't work out, and when coach John Fox took over he had to remake the line in a hurry.

Looking back, it was easy to be spoiled. Having a star such as Peppers on one end, Kris Jenkins in the middle, and complementing them with Pro Bowler Rucker and solid players in Brentson Buckner, Shane Burton and Al Wallace, the line dominated.

But Jenkins went away, and age got the better of the rest, leaving Peppers to bring along a new group.

Now he's gone, and for much of the preseason, folks wondered if the replacements would be able to do anything.

But Panthers general manager Marty Hurney said the team has been building toward this point for some time.

"The defensive line, that's really a position you have to try to always add to," Hurney said. "We've brought in some young pass-rushers, and defensive tackle was an area we started looking at aggressively last season. You want to be able to stay ahead, because the best way to keep yourself in a position where you re-tool instead of rebuild is to keep turning it over, keep adding talent.

"It's not easy getting a defensive line to that point, but you just need to keep injecting young talent."

To this point, there's at least some reason for optimism. The Panthers had 18 sacks in their first three exhibitions (when the regulars played), and while no one expects that pace, there's at least evidence of improvement.

Former third-round pick Charles Johnson has been in the pipeline for three years now, learning from both Rucker and Peppers, and finally looks ready to be an every-down player.

Everette Brown was envisioned as the bridge, a guy who'd play with Peppers for a year, then take over. Then injuries at defensive tackle had the Panthers methodically going after a new group.

Hurney scouted exhibitions of teams switching from 4-3 defenses to the 3-4, looking for guys who were odd fits in new schemes but might work here. He landed Louis Leonard in one trade, the now-gone Tank Tyler in another, and found potential starter Derek Landri on the waiver wire from a similar situation last December.

Put them together with sixth-round rookie Greg Hardy, a solid veteran in Tyler Brayton and the surprising scrap-heap addition of defensive tackle Ed Johnson, and the Panthers have a group the think they can trust - at least more than outsiders think.

Defensive line coach Brian Baker was all smiles during training camp, and not just because he had the kind of young lineup that's perfect for his kind of high-intensity instruction.

"Yes, because these guys are good enough to help us win," Baker said. "I've been places in my career before where I was in a similar seat, and you're looking for the best of a bunch of bad guys. I don't think that's the case here. I think we've got a good pack."

But they're still young.

Other than Brayton, who has 78 career starts, this group is untested. The other eight linemen have a total of 35 starts between them, and 21 of those belong to Ed Johnson.

And while Brayton laughs and said he felt like a kid the past two years, he knows he's going to be looked to for wisdom this year. Throughout camp, he was on the lookout for drooping shoulders.

"I'm just being vocal as far as encouraging guys, instead of just being so focused on myself," Brayton said. "Some of the young guys, they'll make a mistake and you'll see them put their chins down. You're like, 'Hey, it's a long season. Just do it right the next time and that's how we learn and grow.'"

With youth, however, growing pains are inevitable.

Take away the 25.5 career sacks between Brayton and Charles Johnson, and the rest have 8.5 sacks between them.

Who steps up? Who knows?

There are a number of young options, and you get the sense that they, like Rucker, are excited about the possibilities.

"Hopefully everybody eats," Charles Johnson said when asked where the pressure would come from. "You have to take it on yourself to step up to the opportunity. When it comes, you better hang onto it."