Panthers' most impactful draft-day trade ever was a massive failure

There are virtually no sure things in the NFL draft. And although they've been around a relatively short while compared to the bulk of the league, the Carolina Panthers have learned that lesson a time or two.

ESPN's NFL Nation recently named each franchise's most impactful draft-day. Reporter Katherine Terrell revisits Carolina's, and details their unfortunate trade up to the 19th overall pick of the 2008 NFL Draft to nab offensive tackle Jeff Otah.

Terrell writes:

After selecting running back Jonathan Stewart at No. 13, the Panthers weren't done. Otah started 25 games in his first two seasons, but knee issues ended his career early -- he missed the 2010 season and an attempt to trade him to the Jets in 2012 didn't work out because of a failed physical. Otah played only 29 games in the NFL and the Panthers, who didn't have a first-round pick in 2009 or 2010 due to a different trade, did not have a winning season between 2009 and 2012.

To get Otah, the Panthers traded first-, second- and fourth-round picks—a veritable bonanza of draft capital that usually nets you a top-five overall selection. Otah eventually went down as one of the 10-worst picks in NFL history.

It's a timely note for the Panthers, who just used the same pick (No. 19 overall) on another offensive tackle in Georgia star Monroe Freeling. While it would come as a surprise, we can't rule out the possibility that Freeling could follow in Otah's footsteps and become a massive first-round draft bust. The transition from the college game to the NFL is a vast ocean of difference, and many athletes simply can't manage it, no matter how good they may have been in college.