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.