Carolina Panthers: 2011 NFL Draft do-over (6 Rounds)

Carolina Panthers Draft Pick No. 244: Mario Addison over Lee Ziemba

With their last pick in the draft, the Carolina Panthers selected Auburn offensive lineman Lee Ziemba, who only lasted one year with the organization.

Finding a player in the seventh round who will be on the roster for a long time is very rare. The Panthers didn’t get that in Ziemba. He didn’t start one game in Carolina and was released before the 2012 season.

Ziemba signed with the Indianapolis Colts for the 2012 season but hasn’t played in the league since. Carolina should have passed for obvious reasons and instead taken a defensive end who would wind up being a great player for the Panthers in the future.

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Mario Addison went undrafted and was picked up by the Chicago Bears. He didn’t last long with the franchise, in fact, he was a part of four different teams in his first two seasons.

Addison was cut by the Bears, and then picked up by the Indianapolis Colts, then cut by them and was added to their practice squad.

He got signed off their practice squad by Washington where he was cut and signed to the practice squad. In 2013 the Panthers signed Addison, and this is where his career would take off.

From 2013 to 2019 Addison had 54 sacks, 10 forced fumbles, 207 tackles, and 49 tackles for loss. He was a big part of the Panthers’ defense, especially during their Super Bowl run in 2015.

Addison recently signed a much-deserved three-year $30.45 million dollar contract with the Buffalo Bills. He will be their best pass rusher and will help progress young star Ed Oliver.

If the Panthers would have selected Addison two years earlier, they would have had him produce even more for them alongside Charles Johnson and Justin Houston in this scenario.