Kuechly is widely considered to be the best ILB prospect in this year’s draft class. He’s not an elite-level talent in terms of shear athleticism, but his instincts and solid fundamentals allowed him to excel at the collegiate level. In his three seasons at Boston College, Kuechly was an absolute tackling machine, notching 516 total tackles during that span.
How will this translate to the pro game? To expect the inflated numbers we saw from Kuechly in college is a bit far-fetched. In fact, we may see lower numbers out of him than some may anticipate, as one of his knocks is that he’s not at his best when moving downhill. Yet, his ability to shed blocks and move quickly from sideline to sideline will still enable him to put up mid-range LB2 production in his rookie season if he gets on the field. With Jon Beason in Carolina, Kuechly's role remains to be determined. Regardless, from a dynasty perspective Kuechly has the potential to become not only an LB1 option, but also an elite one at that.