Panthers great Luke Kuechly gives thoughts on 3rd-round pick Trevin Wallace
Carolina Panthers radio voice Luke Kuechly may know a thing or two about playing defense in the NFL. So, team reporter Kristen Balboni asked him about one of their newest linebackers.
Balboni recently interviewed Kuechly as part of “The Panthers Huddle Offseason Special,” a 23-minute video released by the organization on Friday. While going over a few of Carolina’s 2024 draft picks, the future Hall of Famer spoke about third-round pick and former University of Kentucky linebacker Trevin Wallace.
“He’s athletic, he can run, he’s explosive and I’m curious to see kinda how they play him,” Kuechly said. “Can he rush? Can he come off the edge? Can you put him on a running back and just say, ‘Hey, cover him. It’s gonna be man coverage, use your athletic ability, give him a little bit of technique.'”
Wallace displayed that athleticism and explosiveness during his collegiate career with the Wildcats. Between 2022 and 2023, the 6-foot-1, 237-pounder recorded 14.0 sacks, three interceptions and a forced fumble.
Kuechly then likened Wallace’s situation to his own, stating he should have a pretty good mentor to learn from during his rookie campaign.
“So if I’m him and I’m comin’ in, I got two older guys to learn from,” he added. “Shaq [Thompson] is fantastic. And I think I was very fortunate to play with a guy like Thomas [Davis]. And now I think Shaq will probably look forward to the opportunity to help a young guy out. So I’m excited about him.”
Well, if you say so, Mr. Defensive Player of the Year/seven-time All-Pro/seven-time Pro Bowler.
