Jump to content

  • Welcome!

    Register and log in easily with Twitter or Google accounts!

    Or simply create a new Huddle account. 

    Members receive fewer ads , access our dark theme, and the ability to join the discussion!

     

NFC South's Next Defensive Superstar

CarolinaPanthers8789

Recommended Posts

CarolinaPanthers8789 Newbie

CarolinaPanthers8789

Posted
Posted

Link: http://espn.go.com/b...nsive-superstar

In 2003, Carolina defensive linemen Julius Peppers and Kris Jenkins emerged as the second coming of Rice and Sapp. With a little help from linebacker Dan Morgan, who was relatively healthy that season, they carried the Panthers all the way to the Super Bowl -- and that came with Jake Delhomme in his first full season as a starting quarterback.

Could this be the year the NFC South returns to its roots and a dominant defensive player emerges? Of course, the NFL is a quarterback-driven league and rules favor offense. But there are several prospects in the division who could turn out to be the NFC South’s next defensive superstar. Here's a rundown:

Luke Kuechly, linebacker, Panthers. Carolina didn’t have a desperate need at linebacker with Jon Beason and Thomas Davis returning from injuries and James Anderson already in place. There were more obvious needs elsewhere. But the Panthers locked in on Kuechly with the No. 9 overall pick in this year’s draft.

The Panthers have yet to declare if Kuechly or Beason will open the season in the middle. But it’s clear the Panthers have huge plans for Kuechly. Coach Ron Rivera comes from a defensive background and he needed to reload his defense. He drafted Kuechly to build a defense around him.

Don’t underestimate the influence of general manager Marty Hurney on this pick. Hurney was around during the Morgan days, and he’s one of many people in Carolina’s building who believe Morgan would be headed for the Pro Football Hall of Fame if he had been able to stay healthy. In Kuechly, the Panthers envision a healthy and young Morgan.

Charles Johnson, defensive end, Panthers. He just turned 26 and, of all the players on this list, he has done the most so far. Johnson had 20.5 sacks the past two seasons for a team that often played from behind. Carolina has a good offense now, and the addition of Kuechly and the return of injured players should help the defense. If Johnson's sack total reaches the high double digits, he could become what Peppers once was -- a dominant NFC South defensive player.

Others include...

Sean Weatherspoon, linebacker (Falcons)

Mark Barron, safety (Buccaneers)

Malcolm Jenkins, safety (Saints**)

Adrian Clayborn, defensive end (Buccaneers)

Link to comment
Share on other sites
panthers34 Apprentice

panthers34

Posted
Posted

I really don't get the hype behind Barron, I think he will be solid, but don't think he is anywhere near the caliber of Reed/Polamalu.

Well he hasnt played a game yet soo its hard to tell...Give him a few years and he will be good...He reminds me of Eric Berry

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Herbert The Love Bug Newbie

Herbert The Love Bug

Posted
Posted

I really feel like Kuechly will be the next great LB in the NFL. If only our defensive line didn't part like the Red Sea and Sherrod Martin didn't play like ball carriers had cooties, we'd have a shot at being a very solid defense.

Defensive line will definitely be more solid this year and Sherrod Martin will probably not see the field much. Hopefully he will just be an emergency corner/safety.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
SOJA Veteran

SOJA

Posted
Posted

He would have been our pick if he was still there

I don't know if that is necessarily true. Next years draft is loaded at the safety position. I think we could end up getting a better one by waiting just one year, therefore we signed a bunch of stop-gap guys like Nakamura

Link to comment
Share on other sites
SOJA Veteran

SOJA

Posted
Posted

Well he hasnt played a game yet soo its hard to tell...Give him a few years and he will be good...He reminds me of Eric Berry

Eric Berry was highly, highly touted prior to the draft. Barron shot up draft boards seemingly days before

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing

  • PMH4OWPW7JD2TDGWZKTOYL2T3E.jpg

  • Topics

  • Posts

    • strato
      Why does Bryce get the blame?

      By strato · Posted

      To start with, you wouldn’t want to count up that value chart. You would see quickly where that is headed. But you basically did a quantity comparison, while ignoring quality.  I am looking at 2023 as the start, because it became all about Bryce.  2023 you have 4 picks plus DJ Moore for offense vs 2 (80 and 145) for defense.  2024 you got the 1st overall, the 32, the 46 and the 101 for offense vs 72, 157, 200 and 240 for defense. Leave the FA IOL out of it. Which was a crazy big  investment. But it wasn’t draft.  Anyway, that is basically 4 top 100 picks for offense and 4 picks for defense in 2024. Except they were 2 first rounders, the second rounder, and the 4th was really high at 101. Vs 72 and day three stuff. Please….  Second quoted/bolded… See you think we hate Bryce. That isn’t it at all. It is nice easy way to characterize us and discredit our talking points though.   Me, I do mostly hate watching him play. But I don’t hate the person. I hate the hell out of the stanning.  It started with the very first question I asked about his footwork, arm strength, and size. Height being the principle objection. I never even got to the durability factor. There was plenty without factoring that in.  But there was rabid opposition to even asking the question of what a couple of small fractions of a second extra closing time would do for the defenders.  What the extra time it takes to flip the hips would do vs a pass rush or on the other end after the ball is in the air. Split second more for recognition where it is going for the DBs.  The tippy toe backpedal.  That poo was a mess and it has always been mess but no Bryce fan wanted to hear it. “Go get another team to root for”. “It worked in the SEC it will be fine in the NFL you don’t know football you are just a hater”.  It got worse when the real games started. It has never stopped. It is nice that many people have left that train so there is less abuse but it hasn’t stopped.  So whatever… 
    • UnluckyforSome
      2025 College Football Thread

      By UnluckyforSome · Posted

      Whatever school you attended, I don't know and I don't care, but I would suggest demanding a refund.    Something was completely missed there.
    • CRA
      Why does Bryce get the blame?

      By CRA · Posted

      The draft capital since since 2023 has in no way been pretty even.  Especially when you zero in on day 1 and day 2 draft picks.  Draft capital has vastly gone toward the O over D.  
×
×
  • Create New...