Carolina Panthers: 5 biggest NFL Draft mistakes in history
By Josh Linares
OL. JEFFOTAH. 5. player. 87. Scouting Report. Pick Analysis. PITTSBURGH
5. Jeff Otah over Duane Brown
Heading into the 2008 draft, the Carolina Panthers were coming off a solid season. They finished 12-4 and lost in the divisional round of the playoffs to the Arizona Cardinals.
The Panthers had the 13th pick and traded their second, fourth, and 2009 first-round picks to move into the No. 19 spot. When you give up that much for a pick, it represents a strong feeling about one college recruit in particular.
With that 19th pick, the Panthers took Jeff Otah, an offensive tackle from Pittsburgh. The 2008 draft had a lot of great lineman prospects and he was one of them.
Unfortunately, Otah didn’t turn into the great tackle who would play opposite all-time Panthers’ great Jordan Gross. Seven picks later the Houston Texans took a player at the same position in Duane Brown. And the rest is history.
Brown would go on to be one of the best tackles in the league. He has been selected to the Pro Bowl four times and was named first-team All-Pro in 2012.
If the Panthers would have taken Brown over Otah, they would’ve had one of the best offensive lines in the league for years to come. Unfortunately, they missed out on a franchise tackle, but it wasn’t their worst draft mistake.