Carolina Panthers: 30 greatest players in franchise history
Inside Linebacker. 2012-Present. Luke Kuechly. 2. player. 87.
Luke Kuechly gets overlooked a lot. Whether it’s due to his proneness to injury or the general lack of value placed on the inside linebacker position, it’s a bit ridiculous. The reality is that Kuechly may be one of the greatest linebackers to ever grace the gridiron.
His instincts and knack for finding the football are Pro Football Hall of Fame caliber. The man was simply born to make big plays. Whether he’s rushing the passer or dropping into coverage, good things seem to happen whenever Kuechly is in the general vicinity.
Seriously, I would put his natural football feel at an elite level. Like in the top-10 all-time among NFL players. Kuechly simply understands how to play defense, and reads and reacts like very few have ever been able to. It’s part of why the Panthers have managed to field a quality defense consistently since his arrival — he makes everyone around him significantly better.
The hope is that Kuechly gets more credit in the coming years. Regardless, if we’re looking solely at natural talent and ability, then the former No. 9 overall pick is more than worthy of this ranking among the Panthers’ best players of all-time.