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Rookie tackle David Bakhtiari has
impressed early in camp.
Photo Cred: JSOnline.com |
A week ago, David Bakhtiari was nothing more than a pleasant surprise, a D4 tackle vying for a starting gig on the right side of the line. Today he finds himself running with the 1's at left tackle, arguably the line's most crucial position. Bakhtiari replaces Bryan Bulaga, who suffered an ACL tear during Saturday's Family Night Scrimmage. Bulaga had recently been moved from right to left tackle, a move aimed at bolstering a line which surrendered a league-high 51 sacks in 2012.
How quickly things change. Enter a rookie tasked with plugging up the NFL's most pourous offensive line. Bakhtiari will look to shed scouts' perception that he is a "finesse" tackle, a nice way of saying he's smarter than he is strong. And so far in camp, the rookie has done just that. He's stood out in one-on-one drills, occasionally besting physical specimens like Clay Matthews and fellow rookie Datone Jones. The young tackle assumes his daunting role beginning with today's padded work. He does so with the blessing of a coaching staff who hopes he can graduate from a finesse tackle and a pleasant surprise, to a steal of a fourth round pick.
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