Carolina Panthers: 30 greatest players in franchise history

Turning first-round offensive linemen into stars is never easy, especially in today’s NFL. However, that’s exactly what the Panthers did when the took Jordan Gross with the No. 8 pick in 2003.

Now I won’t lie to you and try to spin Gross as a legendary offensive tackle, because he wasn’t. With that said, the Utah product and top pick of the Panthers spent his entire career proving to be a tough, dependable presence of the blindside.

Throughout his 11 seasons in the NFL (all in Carolina), Gross missed a total of nine games. In that time, he also earned three Pro Bowl appearances and was even selected to an All-Pro team. Arguably one of the top offensive linemen to ever suit up for the Panthers, Gross played an integral role on some outstanding teams — including the one that nearly won a Super Bowl.

Just the fact that Gross managed to hold down one of the most important positions in football for so long (although he did play some right tackle) is impressive on its own. Doing it as well as he did for so such an extended stretch with the same team is why he finds himself at No. 8.