3 key traits Kamu Grugier-Hill brings to the Carolina Panthers in 2023

Kamu Grugier-Hill brings speed to the Carolina Panthers

One thing that stands out when watching Kamu Grugier-Hill is speed. The second-level defender plays fast and has the short-area quickness to get around the football consistently more often than not. 

Grugier-Hill rose from undrafted obscurity into a valuable contributor that also has a Super Bowl ring with the Philadelphia Eagles. His production isn't perfect by any stretch, but the Carolina Panthers wouldn't need all that much from him considering their current options across the linebacking corps. 

This explosiveness sometimes comes across when Grugier-Hill is tasked with rushing the passer. While his five career sacks wouldn't be classed as productive compared to others, there's nothing to suggest he cannot be disruptive with other difference-makers across the front seven generating more attention from opposing protection schemes. 

If nothing else, this gives the Panthers an experienced, change-of-pace option for their rotation. Grugier-Hill's skill set is not scheme dependent based on his previous stops, so it's just a case of carving out a role and impressing the coaching staff enough to generate reps.

While it would be a surprise if Grugier-Hill eventually became a starter given the Panthers' plan to move Jeremy Chinn down to the second level, this is a definite depth upgrade if the player performs at the level we saw in 2021.