NFL's Most Underrated: Kawann Short

[RelaxImaPro]

The Carolina Panthers are one of the NFL’s ascending teams, if you ask me, and former second round draft pick Kawann Short is developing very quietly into one of the best defensive tackles in football.

As good as former top overall pick candidate Star Lotulelei is as well, Short has been better for the Panthers, and so today we here at NFL Mocks are going to recognize him as one of the NFL’s most underrated players, and a guy that deserves some hype as he will be a key piece of any run the Panthers make this season, especially with that strong defensive unit.

Since coming to the Panthers, Short has been an impact player. He earned significant playing time as a rookie after a nice pre-season and got off to a slow start, but wound up with the third highest overall grade of any Panthers defender according to Pro Football Focus, and a really solid 24 hurries.

 

As a sophomore in 2014, Short was even better, leading the Panthers’ deep defensive line in snaps among defensive tackles (behind only DE Charles Johnson) and also posting the 2nd highest overall grade on defense if not for a -0.5 grade in coverage.

We’re willing to give him a pass there.

Short’s +18.7 overall grade (negating his coverage grade of -0.5) is merely a small way to measure the kind of impact he has had in his first two years in the NFL. I don’t want to say he’s overshadowed Star Lotulelei to this point, but…

This is exactly the player the Panthers had hoped he would be coming out of Purdue. He was a fantastic value in the 2013 draft as a second rounder, and he’s providing them with fantastic value on the field. Entering his third season, he will now be a full time starter (only started 9 games to this point out of a possible 32) and the Panthers will reap the benefits.

read the rest here: http://nflmocks.com/2015/07/20/nfls-most-underrated-carolina-panthers-dl-kawann-short/

[MHS831]

Short was overused in college, where he had to play many more snaps than he should.  He was also the biggest stud on the DL, rarely seeing anything other than double teams.  So much of his film is of a tired player getting double teamed.  If he were in a rotation of any sort, he would have been a first round talent.

Spoke to him briefly at OTAs--what a nice, humble person. 

[dpm0409]

Love it.  D Line is beastly.  Just need somebody to step up @ the other DE spot.  I like the idea of that position being held down, at least for the most part, by a single person like Hardy did for us in 2013.  I don't know why, but DE "by committee" just doesn't sound good to me.

[SCP]

Gettleman

Gettleman's Star and KK double-dip versus Hurney's Fua and McLain double dip.

 

[KintnerBoy]

Gettleman

Gettleman's Star and KK double-dip versus Hurney's Fua and McLain double dip.

 

Damn that's one ugly chick. She needs to shave.

[Marguide]

Short is a flat out stud. He has the talent to demand lots of attention when OC's put together their game plans,and teamed up with CJ and Star, it's highly likely 1 of the 3 are going to win on nearly every down. Everybody wants to focus on Luke and TD, but the guys up front are the meat and potatoes of our D.

[RelaxImaPro]

Gettleman

Gettleman's Star and KK double-dip versus Hurney's Fua and McLain double dip.

 

Zod was right when he said we drafted two future Pro Bowl DT's in the same draft

... He just happened to be off by 2 years.

[Captain Morgan]

KK, Cam and Luke are my 3 favorite Panthers

[MountainHeel66]

"Look at this phoootograph, every time I do it makes me laugh......" 

 

C'mon, admit it, all of you started singing it in your head right away.

[Mol3m4n]

"Look at this phoootograph, every time I do it makes me laugh......" 

 

C'mon, admit it, all of you started singing it in your head right away.

I still don't get the hate for Nickelback.

[Gin and Juice]

Not sure how you guys feel, but I think we are two DE's away from epic greatness on Defense. We need a Pro Bowl stud to work the RDE and someone that solidly fills the CJ void in the coming years. Next offseason I hope is spent getting DE's that raise the talent level of our group as a whole.(and yes that can mean retain big Frank, I'm just skeptical at the moment)

[Moorgan]

I still don't get the hate for Nickelback.

Every song sounds exactly the same? Impressive from a normal guy standpoint to be a professional rock star but....they haven't really contributed a lasting effect on music.

 

 

And they're Canadian.

[juliosantos]

kk is a monster, cant wait for him to destroy tj yeldon week 1

[pantherclaw]

Due to the talent we have at the defensive tackle position,  we'll always have a pass rush, regardless whom lines up opposite of Charles Johnson. 

Love me some KK!