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Carolina Panthers: Greg Little earning preseason hype

By Danny Jaillet

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - MARCH 01: Offensive lineman Greg Little of Ole Miss stretches prior to running the 40-yard dash during day two of the NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium on March 1, 2019 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - MARCH 01: Offensive lineman Greg Little of Ole Miss stretches prior to running the 40-yard dash during day two of the NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium on March 1, 2019 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /
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A smart pick by the Carolina Panthers, Little is gaining the attention of some national writers.

The 2019 season has not even started yet and already, a Carolina Panthers rookie is getting accolades. Offense of tackle Greg Little was named to the 2019 NFL-All Rookie Team as put together by Chad Reuter of NFL.com.

Little was taken by the Panthers with the fifth pick in the second round. He is a player that is going to need some work. He is very strong, and is one of the better tackles in this draft class. He still is very raw however, and he will need to work on his game. Nevertheless, if things go according to plan, he could be with the Carolina Panthers for quite a while. The team has been needing stability at the tackle position, and he certainly provides that.

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I normally do not take too much stock into predictions, but this is encouraging for Little. I could see him starting, the season opener, and that would certainly be a testament to general manager Marty Hurney’s drafting skills. We have already seen several of the 2018 draft picks making an impact. That class should be able to be even better in their second year. They are going to need to if the Carolina Panthers want to succeed.

Little was certainly one of the more overlooked draft picks. After all, the 2019 draft was very deep at several positions this year. Offensive lineman were deep position-wise this year as well. Little was matched with the Panthers in early February, and I thought he would be a great pick for the team. As long as he can protect Cam Newton, his job is fairly straightforward. I’m not sure how many more hits the quarterback can take, but I certainly wouldn’t want to be the one to find out.

"“I think he can sit and anchor,” said Hurney on WFNZ’s The Mac Attack. “And one of the things you look for in a left tackle – probably the biggest thing I look for – is a guy if he gets off balance can recover, and then can sit and anchor and not let the guy bull rush him into the quarterback’s lap. Greg Little does a great job of that.”"

The Carolina Panthers have been needing and anchor type of player for years. Hopefully little can be that guy. The longevity of Newton’s career depends on it. I hate to sound dramatic, but it’s true. Newton cannot take as many hits as he did in 2018. Not only that, some of those hits were absolutely brutal. Little should help put an end to that, as he looks to start a new era on the offensive line for the Carolina Panthers.

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