5 young Panthers players who have turned it on at camp
By Dean Jones
Carolina Panthers Player No. 2: Dennis Daley – OL
The pressure was on Dennis Daley heading into training camp. This is a challenge he seems to have relished during team drills and the offensive lineman is now in pole position to be a starter for the Carolina Panthers in their Week 1 game against the Las Vegas Raiders.
Daley was a sixth-round pick in 2019 and was thrust into a role of responsibility too soon. He was a victim of circumstance in Carolina given their lack of depth on the offensive line. So it was no surprise to see the player struggle as a rookie.
The former South Carolina standout gave up eight sacks and four penalties from 686 snaps last time out. This earned Daley a modest 57.6 grade from Pro Football Focus. But all signs point to a better showing in 2020 thanks to a very strong camp from the lineman.
Moving Daley to the interior will take some of the pressure off. The Panthers potentially boast two bookend tackles in Taylor Moton and Russell Okung, although there is some doubt as to whether the latter can stay healthy for a full season.
Daley is a big body who has been difficult to shift off the block during team drills. One play where he man-handled No. 7 overall pick Derrick Brown was shared by Carolina’s social media team recently, which is a further indicator of the strides the player is making.