What Luke Kuechly likes about Panthers second-year linebacker Trevin Wallace

On paper the Carolina Panthers made some real strides to improve what was the worst defense in the NFL last season. They scored at least one big safey upgrade by signing Tre'Von Moehrig, they boosted their interior defensive line rotation in a major way and they've added a potential diamond in the rough to their cornerback room with UDFA Corey Thornton.

However, this defense would look a whole lot better if it still had Jadeveon Clowney at the top of their edge rotation and Josey Jewell leading their linebacker room. Releasing Clowney was an unforced error, but losing Jewell was just a case of bad luck, as he still hasn't recovered from a concussion he suffered late last season.

Whatever the cause, the news puts a lot more pressure on Carolina's other off-ball linebackers, especially projected starters Christian Rozeboom and Trevin Wallace, who's entering his second year in the NFL. If nothing else, Wallace has a fan in Panthers legend Luke Kuechly.

Here's what Kuechly had to say about Wallace's game earlier this week at the Charlotte Touchdown Club, according to Alex Zietlow at the Charlotte Observer.

Luke Kuechly on Trevin Wallace

“To me, he’s got everything. He loves the game of football. He’s big. He’s physical. He can run. He wants to learn. He has a great feel for the game. And then you just try to help those guys out and figure out, ‘What do they want to work on and what do they want to get better at?’ And then try to find ways to help them with that.”

nfl — NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - FEBRUARY 07: Luke Kuechly speaks on SiriusXM on radio row at Super Bowl LIX on February 07, 2025 in New Orleans, Louisiana. | (Photo by Cindy Ord/Getty Images for SiriusXM)

While Rozeboom has taken over the green dot duties in Jewell's absence, a big step forward from Wallace in Year 2 would obviously be a big help to the middle of Carolina' defense, which appears to be the weakest link in the fence going into the regular season.

Wallace did show flashes during his rookie season, including a solid 64.2 grade in coverage from PFF. However, he also struggled in some areas, especailly run defense - where he earned a 46.9 grade. Overall he came in at 56.0, which ranked 137th out of 189 qualifying inside linebackers.

Wallace missed the last four games of the season due to a shoulder injury which eventually required offseason surgery. All together, he appeared in 13 games and earned eight starts.

The Panthers will need Wallace to stay healthy and make that critical Sophomore year leap, or else there's a real chance that they'll be fielding the worst linebacker corps in the league.

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