Carolina Panthers: 5 biggest NFL Draft mistakes in history

3. Dan Morgan over Steve Hutchinson

Dan Morgan was a very solid player for the Carolina Panthers. He made a Pro Bowl in 2004 and was a big part of their defense.

Unfortunately, Morgan only played seven seasons and was never healthy for an entire campaign. He never quite became that elite defender the Panthers hoped he would be. And this was a real disappointment both for the franchise and the player.

There are a lot of legendary players the Panthers took Morgan over. Prolific names like Reggie Wayne, Casey Hampton, Drew Brees, Chad Johnson, and Santana Moss were all taken after Carolina’s selection. But one name in particular really stands out.

Missing out on all those players wasn’t the Panthers’ biggest mistake. In hindsight, it was passing up on one of the best guards to ever play in the NFL, Steve Hutchinson.

Hutchinson would go six picks later to the Seattle Seahawks at No. 17. In his 11 seasons, the player made seven Pro Bowls, five first-team All-Pro lineups, and he was named to the NFL’s All-Decade Team of the 2000s.

The Panthers could have had one of the best interior linemen of all-time and instead got a disappointing linebacker who never played a full season. They missed out big time. But there have been worse decisions throughout history.