Panthers Rookie Linebacker Luke Kuechly Is ‘Ahead Of The Curve’
By Josh Sanchez
When rookies enter the NFL, one of the first tasks at hand is gaining the respect of your veteran teammates. Rookies need to impress their teammates even more if they are a high first-round pick, like Carolina Panthers linebacker Luke Kuechly.
Kuechly was taken in the top ten of the 2012 NFL Draft and he appears to be coming along quickly — at least that’s what teammate Jon Beason has had to say.
“He’s great,” Beason said. “A good young kid and very, very instinctive. Wants to get better. Knows how to prepare. Stays late. He’s a good kid and he’s going to be a great player. … He’s way ahead of the curve for rookies just in terms of his football IQ and how he prepares. He’s going to be successful right away.”
Does Beason seem worried about Kuechly coming in and taking his job? Not at all.
“I don’t know how it’s all going to unfold, but I understand the draft pick,” Beason said. “I understand the kid was off the charts. So you draft him and it makes your football team better.”
Beason’s attitude and Kuechly’s early grasp of the defense should lead to great things for the Panthers defense this upcoming season. For a unit that needs to see a lot of improvement, they appear to be on the right track.
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