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NFL Draft: Every team’s biggest first round bust of last ten years

By George Stockburger

NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 26: Robert Griffin III (R) from Baylor holds up a jersey as he stands on stage with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell after Griffin was selected #2 overall by the Washington Redskins in the first round of the 2012 NFL Draft at Radio City Music Hall on April 26, 2012 in New York City. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 26: Robert Griffin III (R) from Baylor holds up a jersey as he stands on stage with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell after Griffin was selected #2 overall by the Washington Redskins in the first round of the 2012 NFL Draft at Radio City Music Hall on April 26, 2012 in New York City. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images) /
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CHARLOTTE, NC – CIRCA 2010: In this handout image provided by the NFL, Jeff Otah of the Carolina Panthers poses for his 2010 NFL headshot circa 2010 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by NFL via Getty Images)
CHARLOTTE, NC – CIRCA 2010: In this handout image provided by the NFL, Jeff Otah of the Carolina Panthers poses for his 2010 NFL headshot circa 2010 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by NFL via Getty Images) /

. Jeff Otah. . team. 87. . 2008, 19th overall

Carolina took two swings in the first round of the 2008 NFL Draft; they hit a home run with one and struck out looking with another.

Coming off a 7-9 season under John Fox the Panthers had started four quarterbacks in at least three games: David Carr, Vinny Testaverde, Matt Moore, and Jake Delhomme. Testaverde was 44 and Delhomme 32, while Moore was a rookie undrafted free agent who got three starts.

A quarterback could have been a solid pick with either of their two first round picks. With the 13th overall pick Carolina selected Oregon running back Jonathan Stewart. That pick would pay off in the long run with Stewart eventually becoming the franchise’s all-time leading rusher.

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Quarterback Joe Flacco remained on the board at the time Carolina picked Stewart, and he eventually went to Baltimore 18th overall. Carolina made a deal with Philadelphia for the 19th overall pick that dealt their first round pick in 2009 and their second and fourth round picks that year, essentially paying a four and a one to jump more than 30 spots.

In a bad year to draft a quarterback, Carolina went with offensive tackle Jeff Otah out of Pittsburgh. He was a First Team All-Big East and had immigrated from Nigeria as a child.

Otah started 12 of the Panthers games in 2008 at right tackle and missed four with an injury. He underwent knee surgery in 2010 that knocked him out the entire year, and after a trade with the Jets was nullified due to a failed physical Otah was released in 2011.

The offensive tackle that cost Carolina an extra first round pick only played 29 games before retiring.

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