Tahir Whitehead
What’s at stake: Nobody has bigger shoes to fill this year than Whitehead, who is stepping in for a guy who played his position better than anybody else in the NFL over the last eight years. Whitehead can’t match Luke Kuechly’s marvelous processing speed and sticky coverage – and nobody should expect him to. What the Panthers need is for Whitehead to effectively lead a defensive unit that is loaded with rookies and other inexperienced players. His ability to communicate and teach will be critical in determining how fast this defense will be ready for live competition.
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