Spotlight

Luke Kuechly

Linebacker

The Panthers aren't the least bit concerned about shifting the No. 9 pick out of Boston College from middle linebacker to the weak side to make room for the returning Jon Beason (recovered from a left Achilles tear), and for good reason: No matter where he lines up, Kuechly routinely snuffs out the opposition. At 6'3" and 235 pounds, the two-time All-America has fit seamlessly into coordinator Sean McDermott's 4--3 defense, showing reliability in coverage and against the run. Last year's impact rookie in Carolina, Cam Newton, raves about Kuechly's consistent ability to disrupt plays in practice. "I'm happy to throw screens into the ground," Newton says, "because his recognition is already through the roof. That's what you want to see."

Kuechly has flashed his playmaking abilities throughout camp and in the preseason, including a strip tackle of normally sure-handed Texans running back Arian Foster in the first quarter of Kuechly's first NFL appearance, on Aug. 11. That led Panthers G.M. Marty Hurney to state the obvious: "He's ready to help us right now. He's extremely instinctive out there."