First it was Utah’s Star Lotulelei and then it was Purdue’s Kawann Short.
Carolina clearly viewed defensive tackle as their main target this offseason and have used both picks to upgrade the position.
Last season the Panthers survived on the fumes of Ron Edwards and Dwan Edwards and posted the 14th best rush defense. However both players are over the age of thirty and stairing down their final playing days.
With very little depth behind the two savvy veterans, Dwan was resigned this offseason. The Lotulelei and Short combination is an absolute shot of adrenaline to an aging line and will pair well with ends Charles Johnson and Greg Hardy, who both posted double digit sacks last season.
While it looks good now, it could not pan out.
In 2011, the Carolina Panthers in their first season under the Ron Rivera regime chose back-to-back d-tackles Terrell McClain and Sione Fua. McClain didn’t stick with the team and is now on the Texans and Fua has been underwhelming.
