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Reviewing Ron Rivera’s first-round draft history with the Panthers

By Jacob Camenker

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - NOVEMBER 24: Head coach Ron Rivera of the Carolina Panthers reacts against the New Orleans Saints during the first quarter in the game at Mercedes Benz Superdome on November 24, 2019 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - NOVEMBER 24: Head coach Ron Rivera of the Carolina Panthers reacts against the New Orleans Saints during the first quarter in the game at Mercedes Benz Superdome on November 24, 2019 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images) /
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CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA – DECEMBER 01: Luke Kuechly #59 of the Carolina Panthers warms up before their game against the Washington Redskins at Bank of America Stadium on December 01, 2019 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)
CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA – DECEMBER 01: Luke Kuechly #59 of the Carolina Panthers warms up before their game against the Washington Redskins at Bank of America Stadium on December 01, 2019 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) /

2012: LB Luke Kuechly

On the surface, linebacker wasn’t a big need for the Panthers entering the 2012 NFL Draft. The team, picking ninth after a 6-10 season under Rivera, already had two former first-round picks on the roster in Thomas Davis and Jon Beason.

Granted, both had been injured in 2011. But with Beason on a five-year, $50 million deal and Davis on a five-year, $36.5 million deal (both signed before the ’11 campaign), it seemed like the team had no choice but to roll with them and avoid any more high-cost investments at that spot.

But Rivera saw it differently. The team instead decided to take Kuechly in the hopes that he would be the third linebacker for the Panthers and create an elite group of linebackers for the team. If Beason and Davis could stay healthy, the trio would rank among the best in the league.

Related Story. Redskins should pursue Luke Kuechly for coaching position. light

That’s not exactly what happened, but the pick did pan out. Kuechly was considered one of the safest picks of the 2012 draft and he became a star at the NFL level. In eight seasons with the Panthers, he started 118 regular-season games and never failed to rack up fewer than 102 tackles in a season. This included a campaign in which he played just 10 games.

As a rookie, Kuechly led the league in tackles with 164. His other-worldly instincts, great anticipation, and hard-hitting style made him an ideal downhill playmaker, but he was very strong in coverage as well and amassed 18 interceptions and 66 pass defenses during his career. Simply put, he had a nose for the football in all aspects of the game.

Kuechly was a five-time All-Pro first-teamer and took home the Defensive Rookie of the Year Award in 2012. And in 2013, he was named the Defensive Player of the Year. He was a huge part of the Panthers defense that helped the squad get to the 2015 Super Bowl and he should be a Hall of Famer.

Though Kuechly surprisingly retired this offseason at the age of 28, he made a huge impact on Rivera’s teams. He was the heart and soul of their defensive group and deserves a lot of credit for what he accomplished in the NFL.

Kuechly was Rivera’s best first-round pick. And his success demonstrates why it’s never a bad thing to take a highly-talented player at a position that may not be a team’s biggest need.

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