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Rookie right tackle Jeff Otah is the personification of the Panthers' offensive line transformation.
He's young, turning 22 in June. He has a mean streak that always helps when you have half-crazed defensive linemen trying to take your head off while getting to the quarterback.
He's big – really big – at 6-foot-6, 330 pounds. And despite having to haul all that size around, he's surprisingly fast and has quick, nimble feet.
And he would seem certain to one day man the left tackle position, the most important on the offensive line.
Otah, a first-round draft pick from Pittsburgh, is one of five offensive linemen who are either new to the team, starting for the first time or playing new positions. Right guard Keydrick Vincent was acquired in the offseason, second-year center Ryan Kalil gets his first shot as a starter, while guard Travelle Wharton and tackle Jordan Gross shift to the left side.
Otah is already making his mark. He's been dominant at times in the preseason, especially in opening holes for Panthers running backs DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart.
“Big, young and strong,” is how Panthers defensive end Tyler Brayton – who faces Otah every day in practice – described him this summer.
And although Otah is quiet and is almost shy off the field, it's that certain orneriness that might set him apart as his career progresses.
“It looks like Otah has that streak in him,” said quarterback Jake Delhomme. “He has that nastiness to him and that's a good thing. That's what you want in an offensive lineman.”
