Carolina Panthers: Dennis Daley could be mainstay on offensive line

(Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) Dennis Daley
(Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) Dennis Daley /
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The Carolina Panthers could have something special with Daley.

From a sixth- round pick to a first option, Carolina Panthers right tackle Dennis Daley has definitely ascended up the depth chart. After being somewhat of an under-the-radar draft pick, Daley is now figuring to be in the Carolina Panthers plans.

It’s safe to say that San Francisco gave him a hard time. Then again, they gave everybody on the Carolina Panthers roster a hard time. Nevertheless, Daley has put together a solid body of work as the Carolina Panthers look to find stability at the left tackle position. It seems like head coach Ron Rivera has confidence in him as well. Especially as a rookie, it must feel great to have your coaches’ confidence.

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Playing at South Carolina certainly gave him a little bit of an advantage. He had to go up against the likes of Josh Allen and Christian Wilkins. Now, it seems like that hard work has been paying off. As the Carolina Panthers suffer through the injury bug in the second half of the season, he has been a solid go-to option. Although he still has a lot to work on, he has certainly proven his value. Especially as a sixth-round pick, anytime you can get production from a player in his first season, that is certainly a good thing.

So far, head coach Ron Rivera has been impressed with how  has played. In his press conference on Monday, he didn’t hesitate to consider him the left tackle option for the future.

"“Dennis Daley is our best option at left tackle,” Rivera said of the sixth-round pick. “He made several mistakes yesterday, but he did play well at times and he showed why we have so much faith in him. The hardest part for him was he missed a couple day of practice (with a groin injury), and he’s a young guy so he’s got to practice. He’s got to be on the field learning and growing.”"

It will be interesting to see how this helps his development. Daley will certainly be on the fast-track to success if he can get some meaningful snaps. As long as he continues to play at a high level, he should be in a position to succeed for the future. If he can develop into a solid lineman, that would help provide some continuity for the Panthers at the position.

We still have a large part of the season to go, but Daley has already proven he can step up when needed. Although last week was a bit of a struggle, he has definitely shown signs that he can play well enough to be a member of the Carolina Panthers long-term.