At just 24 years of age, Panthers linebacker Luke Kuechly is already seen as one of the premier defensive players in the NFL. An absolute gamechanger in the middle of the field, Kuechly has racked up two Pro Bowl appearances, two First-Team All-Pro selections, and a Defensive Player of the Year Award in just three seasons so far. He’s the anchor of the Carolina defense, a perpetual threat to lead the NFL in tackles in any given year, and he’s only continuing to get better. Now Kuechly’s even drawing comparisons to all-time greats.
New teammate Charles Tillman, who signed with the Panthers just this offseason, spoke highly of Kuechly in an interview with David Newton of ESPN that ran on Thursday. The veteran cornerback compared him to Brian Urlacher, saying that Kuechly is the “same, if not better” than the Bears legend.
“Brian was really great in his prime,” said Tillman. “Father Time catches up to us all. Right now Luke is very young, very active and very explosive. He has a lot of power and speed and reminds me a lot of Brian back in the ’03, ’04, ’05 and ’06 era.”
That’s no small vote of confidence either as Tillman played with Urlacher for 10 seasons in Chicago, with several those being with a prime Urlacher at the absolute peak of his powers. For Tillman to make that comparison after just a few months of being around Kuechly is a resounding endorsement and a huge testament to the latter’s inherent upside and talent.
While Tillman may be a bit guilty of some excessive presentism, the comparison isn’t too far off at its core. Kuechly is already as destructive against the run and as brilliant in the open field as Urlacher was. Even Urlacher wasn’t quite the cyborg tackle machine that Kuechly is now, with Kuechly’s athleticism also making him a lethal weapon in pass coverage.
Kuechly might not have the pass-rushing abilities or the vocal leadership that Urlacher had just yet. But just to be able to even remotely justify a comparison to the one of the most transcendent defensive talents of this millennium is impressive.
With Kuechly continuing to devour souls in the middle, Tillman will hope to shore up the Carolina secondary and use his veteran savvy to boost the Panthers defense back to the top-10 ceiling we all know they have.
“I wanted be a part of this defense,” Tillman continued. “There is something special here. We are still forming and creating our identity, but I want to be a part of it.”
Though they won the rotten NFC South last season with a record of 7-8-1, Carolina has a lot room for improvement heading into 2015. And that looks like a good bet with a roster blended nicely with young talent, keen veterans, and Brian Urlacher 2.0.
H/T ProFootballTalk
