NEW ORLEANS -- If the Carolina Panthers keep this up, their future will be a bright one.
Luke Kuechly was named the 2012 Associated Press NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year on Saturday night at "NFL Honors" after Panthers quarterback Cam Newton was awarded that honor on offense one season ago. Newton's award was no surprise, and neither is Kuechly's.
The linebacker led the NFL in tackles (164) and started all 16 games for a Panthers defense that had trouble stopping teams early in the season but grew stout down the stretch. Kuechly's play directly contributed to the Panthers winning their final four games, and the rookie brought consistency to a defense sorely in need of young talent.
Kuechly started the season on the weak side of Carolina's 4-3 defense, but he shifted to the middle after Jon Beason was lost for the season to shoulder and knee injuries. The brittle nature of Beason and fellow linebacker Thomas Davis made Kuechly a no-brainer at the No. 9 spot in last year's draft, and he was a consistent contributor from Day One.
Kuechly isn't the biggest or fastest linebacker in the NFL, but his intelligence and instincts pushed scouts to label him a sure thing out of Boston College. His handiwork was overlooked on a disappointing team, but Kuechly did an outstanding job shedding linemen and finding his way to the ball. There was no long and winding adjustment period for this guy; he was a producer from the minute he put on pads for the Panthers.
Carolina's defense is a work in progress, but Kuechly quickly has become the unit's leader. The Panthers found their man on offense last season in Newton, and with Kuechly locked in on the other side of the ball, two key building blocks are in place.
Follow Marc Sessler on Twitter @MarcSesslerNFL.
