Carolina Panthers: 2006 NFL Draft do-over (7 rounds)

Carolina Panthers 2006 Draft: Marques Colston over Will Montgomery (No. 234)

Will Montgomery played nine years in the NFL. But he only spent one season with the Carolina Panthers. He started three straight campaigns with the Washington Redskins. And although he never made a Pro Bowl, there was a lot to like about the way he performed on the field.

He wasn’t a bust, especially considering how low he was taken in the 2006 NFL Draft. But the Panthers got nothing out of his career and moved him on at the earliest possible opportunity. A player they could have got outstanding production from was a wide receiver, Marques Colston.

Colston was taken with the 252nd pick by the New Orleans Saints. He quickly emerged as a primary weapon both in the passing game and in the red zone.

The player recorded no fewer than six 1,000-yard seasons during his time in the NFL, without ever reaching a Pro Bowl. This was outstanding production from a player who came from a small program and ended up being a real diamond in the rough.

If the draft went this way the Panthers would have a wide receiver trio of Brandon Marshall, Steve Smith, and Marques Colston. This would have been almost impossible to stop given the trio’s traits and various ways they could provide assistance in the passing game.

Going this way would have been a much better pick for the Panthers and it had the potential to give them a No. 3 wideout who could make plays on a consistent basis.