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Deadspin article on Star (a good fluffpiece)

Gabeking

By Gabeking,
in Carolina Panthers

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Gabeking Newbie

Gabeking

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http://regressing.deadspin.com/death-star-lotulelei-might-be-the-nfls-next-great-de-1475907175?utm_campaign=socialflow_deadspin_twitter&utm_source=deadspin_twitter&utm_medium=socialflow

Enter the Death Star. Though he's still in a rotation at his position, Lotulelei doesn't look like a rookie when he's on the field. Listed at six-foot-two and 315 pounds, Lotulelei is built like a 4-3 nose tackle, but he plays like a much heavier 3-4 nose tackle. Think Jets nose tackle Damon Harrison if he moved around like Warren Sapp. Like Harrison, Lotulelei is an absolute monolith against the run. As a team, the Panthers are allowing just 80.2 rushing yards per game this year, after allowing 110 on 4.2 per carry last season, and a lot of that is Lotulelei. He has recorded 27 run "stops," tied for fifth-most among defensive tackles, and according to Pro Football Focus he has the highest run stop percentage among defensive tackles in the league—even higher than Harrison—with 13.5% of runs against him stopped for a "loss" (this is situational, and not necessarily a loss of yardage). He's somehow outperforming players with 30 or more pounds on him.

I'm guessing the Raiders are ecstatic about choosing DJ Hayden over him :)

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Dex Collaborator

Dex

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If Star never got that viral infection he wouldn't have fallen to us. Probably Top 5 pick. Then we would have gotten some derp and watched Star turn the Raiders D into a juggarnaut. Some of you don't realize how lucky we are to have Star.

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frash.exe Apprentice

frash.exe

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If Star never got that viral infection he wouldn't have fallen to us. Probably Top 5 pick. Then we would have gotten some derp and watched Star turn the Raiders D into a juggarnaut. Some of you don't realize how lucky we are to have Star.

BEST VIRAL INFECTION EVARRRRR111Z!

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h0llywood Newbie

h0llywood

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Aside from Austin and Richardson, I haven't really heard anything about the 13 guys picked ahead of Star.

 

Any of them stand outs?

 

Austin has had 1 good game and aside from that, never eclipses more than 47 yards. Austin does not contribute to the Rams offense like Star has contributed to the Panthers Defense.

 

So in short, only Star and Sheldon have been worth their billing in the top 14 picks.

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