The Carolina Panthers raised some eyebrows on Friday night when they drafted Kawann Short, defensive tackle out of Purdue, with the 44th pick in the NFL Draft.

There was an immediate outcry on Twitter that this was just another Marty Hurney draft. But I believe that the Panthers got themselves a good player in Short and are shoring things up for the road ahead.

Gettleman understands that the NFL game is won on the lines. It’s won in the trenches. You’ve got to have the Hog Mollies to get things moving. That’s just the way it works. Everything behind them, on both sides, starts being more effective.

At 6’4 299 the Purdue Boilermakers had themselves a competent, disruptive defensive tackle. He was the guy that offensive coordinators game planned around. In a division with Drew Brees and Matt Ryan the Panthers need as much disruption as possible.

Kawann Short is a large person with a large wingspan. He’s got a thick body (think boulder) and will take on the double team well. He’s able to penetrate consistently into the backfield and get to the ball carrier. His large wingspan allows him to bat balls down at the line of scrimmage. I would say that his best ability is generating a pass rush. While he isn’t the most athletic defensive tackle (certainly not as athletic as Star) he is extraordinarily powerful. He’s also able to anchor a line; holding his ground and becoming immovable.

Short should make an immediate impact. We’ve suddenly got a very capable, very talented defensive tackle rotation. He more than likely will not start unless he’s able to beat out Dwan Edwards in training camp. Regardless, we still should still have a formidable line against anyone attempting to run the ball at us. I’m anxious to see him in action. His ability to clog the middle and penetrate are intriguing. While he may not be the sexy pick we could be looking back in a few years thinking that we got ourselves a steal in the draft.