NFL teams draft Panthers

For three former Pitt football players, the sound couldn’t have been much sweeter during the… For three former Pitt football players, the sound couldn’t have been much sweeter during the NFL Draft.

The Carolina Panthers chose Jeff Otah, a standout at left tackle for the past two years for Pitt, with the 19th overall selection of the 2008 NFL Draft. Right tackle Mike McGlynn and defensive back Kennard Cox joined him the next day as the next batch of former Pitt players drafted to the NFL.

Otah, who transferred to Pitt from Valley Forge Military Academy in 2006, started every game for the Panthers since he arrived on campus. A first team All-Big East selection this past season, he was selected to play in the Senior Bowl with some of the top players in the country.

McGlynn, a fourth-round pick of the Philadelphia Eagles, started 42 of 47 games in his four-year playing career at Pitt. After redshirting as a true freshman, McGlynn showed his versatility by excelling at both tackle and guard. At the NFL level, he’s expected to play guard, where he’ll have help on the outside.

Cox, who started for two years at Pitt, was selected in the seventh round by the Buffalo Bills in the second-to-last pick.

Although undrafted, former Pitt players Darrell Strong and Joe Clermond were signed to free-agent contracts. Strong, a tight end, signed with the Oakland Raiders, while Clermond, a defensive end, signed with the Chicago Bears.

Former defensive end Chris McKillop was given a tryout with the New York Jets.