In a bit of information that won’t be surprising to any fan of the Carolina Panthers but might turn some heads across the NFL, Kawann Short has been named the most effective player in his 2013 draft class after five NFL seasons by Pro Football Focus.

The highest graded fifth-year players last season! pic.twitter.com/qm4Q1xKdqs — Pro Football Focus (@PFF) June 20, 2018

While their grades aren’t the end all be all of player evaluation, a sphere mostly dominated by opinion in such a team focused sport like football, I think it backs up nicely what we have seen on the field. Short is easily one of the most dominant interior players in the league, and is just as crucial to the success of the entire defense as Luke Kuechly is. The tandem he will form next season standing next to Dontari Poe should really be fun to watch, and is going to result in a huge amount of headaches for offensive lines league wide. Not many fronts feature that combination of speed and power quite like they do.

So congratulations to KK on this feather in his cap as he continues to build one hell of a legacy.