1. Brains and brawn: Offensive tackle Taylor Moton got his degree in accounting at Western Michigan, and he's hoping one day finish his MBA.

That pursuit is on hold as he begins his NFL career in Carolina.

"This semester, I didn't really work on my MBA too much. During the season I did a little bit. I feel like this football thing was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, so I wasn't too worried about the MBA," Moton said. "So I put the pause on it and maybe a couple years down the line I'll be back at it."

Now that he's a Panther, Moton is focused on learning from the veterans in the offensive line room and his position coaches, John Matsko and Ray Brown.

"I need to be a sponge now and learn from the other pros that have been doing this. Just start learning the offense so I can play fast," Moton said. "Those are the keys so far. I just have to do what they tell me and be coachable. That's my goal."

2. Proud to be WMU Bronco: Moton was a huge Michigan State fan who grew up 10 minutes away from Spartan Stadium, but an offer from his favorite school never came.

Instead, he chose Western Michigan over other offers from a host of Mid-American Conference schools and helped take the Broncos' program to new heights.

"I think going to Western turned into a blessing for sure," Moton said. "I was kind of upset about it when I was younger and I realized Michigan State didn't think I was good enough to play there. But as I got older, I started to realize how much of a blessing it was that I got to go to Western. I got to love the school, and I realized there was no other place I'd rather play college football."

3. Experience inside and out: Moton was a four-year starter at Western Michigan, spending three of those years at right tackle.

The other year – his junior season in 2015 – Moton lined up at right guard for the good of the team.

"The coach told me since we had three tackles, I was best suited to learn how to play guard over the other two," Moton explained.

The Panthers like the position flexibility Moton offers, but he will first try to settle in at right tackle as his professional career gets underway.

"I feel pretty comfortable at tackle. That's where I played the majority of my college career," Moton said. "Right tackle is what I'm fresh off doing. I'm excited to put the pads on and kind of get right back to it."

4. Mutual interest: Prospects meet with a lot of teams throughout the pre-draft process, and the Panthers spent a good amount of time getting to know Moton.

"They came and worked me out at my pro day," Moton said. "I had a formal interview with them at the combine. I talked to the offensive line coach there a little bit.

"Out of 32 teams, it's hard to pinpoint where you might really go. I'm just more than excited to be here."

5. A fan of 'The Blind Slide': The movie 'The Blind Side' – which is based off Panthers tackle Michael Oher's football journey – is a popular one in the Moton household.

"It is one of my favorite movies," Moton said. "Actually that's why I have a Ford F-150. I was a junior in high school when that movie came out. My mom loved it, and she wanted to give me that same truck that Michael Oher had in that movie. I still have it to this day."