No. 3 worst NFL Draft pick in Panthers history: Jason Peter
Welcome to the dark side of the NFL Draft, as we revisit the 10 worst picks in Carolina Panthers history.
No. 3 worst pick: DE Jason Peter (1998)
Peter’s story is one of injury, addiction and ultimately redemption. But before he found his sobriety Peter was a first-round pick who couldn’t stay on the field.
The Panthers selected Peter with the No. 14 overall pick in 1998, and to his credit, he was productive when healthy. The Nebraska product started 20 games over his first two seasons — during which he was active for 23 of 32 possible games.
But recurring shoulder and neck injuries forced him into several major surgeries, the recoveries from which led to his addiction to prescription pain-killers. He played nine and six games during the 2000 and 2001 seasons, respectively, before retiring from football altogether.
Although he hit his rock bottom during his first three years of retirement, Peter entered a rehabilitation program in 2004 and has since learned how to overcome his addiction.
