Apr 26, 2008 11:29 pm US/Eastern
Eagles Trade #19 Pick To Panthers
PHILADELPHIA (AP) ―
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The Carolina Panthers have taken Pittsburgh offensive tackle Jeff Otah with the 19th pick in the NFL draft after acquiring the selection in a trade with Philadelphia.
CBS
The Carolina Panthers have taken Pittsburgh
offensive tackle Jeff Otah with the 19th pick in the NFL draft after
acquiring the selection in a trade with Philadelphia.
Otah spent the last two
years at Pittsburgh after transferring from Valley Forge Military Academy,
starting each of the Panthers' 24 games at left tackle. He played some of his
best games against the elite teams in the Big East despite his limited
experience.
Otah lived in Nigeria
until he was seven and didn't play football until his senior year in high
school. The 6-foot-6, 322-pounder was a very good basketball player at Valley Forge before settling on football.
Otah relies on sheer
strength and power to get the job done.
He's an exceptional finisher who plays with a chip on his
shoulder.
Otah will only get better in
the pros, but he must work on his technique, blocking and footwork.
The Philadelphia Eagles chose quantity over quality.
For the second straight
year, the Eagles traded out of the first round in the NFL draft. They sent
their first pick, No. 19 overall, to Carolina
for second- and fourth-round picks this season and a first-rounder in 2009.
The Eagles get the 43rd
and 109th choices to go with 10 other picks they already have. The
Panthers chose Pittsburgh
left tackle Jeff Otah at No. 19.
Last year, Philadelphia made a deal with Dallas and ended up selecting quarterback
Kevin Kolb in the second round with their first choice.
The Eagles now have two
picks in the second round, one in the third and three in the fourth. Two-time
Pro Bowl cornerback Lito Sheppard, who has been dangled as trade bait, remains
on the roster.
(© 2009 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
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