Ranking the 10 worst draft picks in Carolina Panthers franchise history
By Luke Gray
819. . QB. Fighting Irish . JIMMY CLAUSEN. 1. player
Jimmy Clausen – Former Carolina Panthers QB
- Drafted 48th overall in 2010 (Notre Dame)
- Played 13 games
- Waived 2013
Has there been a worse season for the Carolina Panthers than the 2010 campaign?
After Jake Delhomme was released at the end of the disappointing 2009 season it was a new era for the Panthers at quarterback. With the No. 48 overall selection, Carolina brought Jimmy Clausen on board from the Notre Dame Fighting Irish to be the new future of the franchise.
The reality couldn’t have been further from expectation.
With the Panthers at 0-2 after a poor start, starter Matt Moore was benched in favor of Clausen. What followed over the next 14 games was possibly the worst quarterback play ever seen in Carolina.
Clausen completed just 157 passes, throwing a meager three touchdowns to nine interceptions and a quarterback rating of 13.8.
The Panthers finished the season 2-14, securing the first-overall in the 2011 NFL Draft. This allowed them to select arguably the greatest Panther of all time in Cam Newton – the Heisman Trophy winner and national champion out of Auburn.
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Newton was named the starter unsurprisingly and Clausen was demoted to QB3 behind the rookie and Derek Anderson. He was waived by the Panthers in 2013 and has been out of the league since 2015, only starting four games.