When the Panthers had the top pick in the 2011 NFL Draft, most knew they'd take a quarterback. Draft expert Mike Mayock even predicted Blaine Gabbert would be "the first quarterback off the board" to Carolina.
The Panthers of course went with Cam Newton, who has had a far better career than that of Gabbert — Newton won NFL MVP last season, and Gabbert has started just 11 games over the last three seasons. But history might have ended up differently for the Charlotte-based franchise. Mayock wasn't blowing smoke when he suggested Gabbert go No. 1 overall.