1. Panthers pluck Texas A&M defensive end at No. 77: It was a given that any team wanting to acquire the services of a certain Texas A&M defensive end would have to have to trade up to do so.

That's exactly what the Panthers did – not for presumptive No. 1 pick Myles Garrett but instead for bookend Daeshon Hall.

"Daeshon was too good of a value. He was sticking out there," general manager Dave Gettleman said after the Panthers traded up from No. 98 to secure Hall midway through the third round. "There was no way he was going to last until 98."

In four college seasons, Hall amassed 36.5 tackles for loss and 16 sacks – not quite Garrett numbers (47 TFLs and 31 sacks), but not too shabby.

"Myles is my boy," Hall said. "I feel like I wasn't playing in his shadow. I feel like I am my own person. I'm here so I had to do a little something right."

2. Ready to work with Washington, talented teammates: The Panthers didn't use one of their allotted 30 in-house visits during the pre-draft process on Hall, but that doesn't always speak to interest level. In Hall's case, defensive line coach Eric Washington spent time with him at the Senior Bowl, the NFL Scouting Combine and at his pro day.

Hall is excited about working with Washington but perhaps even more so with a veteran group of defensive ends in front of him headed by Julius Peppers and Charles Johnson.

"It's great for me," Hall said. "It's great for me to come in and learn from those guys that I look up to. It's a good opportunity for me to learn what they do well and try to put it in my game."

3. Seeking more strength: Hall's athleticism and burst are obvious, but what about when he gets locked up by an offensive lineman after the snap?

"Everybody knows I have to get a little stronger. I feel like everybody has to get a little stronger coming into this league," Hall said.

Of the 49 defensive linemen to participate in the bench press at the combine, only three had fewer than Hall's 18 reps. Hall, however, had the fourth-best vertical leap among linemen (36 inches), and his 4.78 in the 40-yard dash was in the top third of the position group.

"I feel like I play with tremendous effort," Hall said.

That drive is obvious on film, and he'll no doubt show the same off the field with strength and conditioning coach Joe Kenn.

4. What's in a name: For as long as Hall can remember, he's been also known as "Dae Dae."

"I think it was my mom or my auntie (that came up with it)," Hall said. "That's been my nickname for so long."

Hall's aunt lives in Charlotte, but his first meal in the Queen City wasn't home-cooked.

"They drove me around Uptown and I ate at Toastery today," he said. "I had something called 'The Usual.'"

For the record, that's an omelet with smoked sausage, cheddar and onions.

5. Love of the game: It's up for debate whether Hall's mother, Erika Frost, gets credit for her son's nickname. But there's no debating this pretty important point: She gets credit for him being a football player.

Hall loved playing basketball and showed little interest in football growing up in Texas, but his mom thought his toughness would translate nicely to the football field and wanted to keep him active all year. So she pushed for football, and slowly but surely he fell in love with the game in a high school hotbed for it.

Hall was emotional upon his selection by the Panthers.

"I'm really not an emotional person but a lot of hard work that I put in from a young age to where I am now, it's a surreal moment," he said.