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.
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.
That being said, Freeling has a lot more going for him—most of all a far-superior athletic profile. His Relative Athletic Score is more than double Otah's (4.45 to 9.99), and he's already proven himself in a much more competitive conference.
Freeling should work out fine in the long run, even if the Panthers may have some bad juju with that position at that draft slot.
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This article originally appeared on Panthers Wire: NFL draft: ESPN names Panthers' most impactful draft-day trade