Carolina Panthers midseason report card
By Luke Tucker
Linebackers: A
As always, Luke Kuechly has been one of the best linebackers in football this season, however, it has been the emergence of Shaq Thompson that has helped this unit the most. Kuechly, a five-time All-Pro, is currently fifth in the league in tackles, while Thompson sits just outside the top 10. So far this season, Pro Football Focus has graded both Carolina linebackers in the top 15 at their position.
The switch to a 3-4 defense this season means that Burns, Irvin, and Addison have gotten significant reps as an “unofficial” outside linebacker, where they have each made their mark. The only concern for this position is that behind Kuechly and Thompson, the depth at inside linebacker drops off significantly. Stellar linebacker play has been a staple of Rivera-coached teams, and this season is no different.