Luke Kuechly was the best off-ball linebacker of this generation, or at the very least he tied with Bobby Wagner. Now that he’s retired from the NFL, the Carolina Panthers have a massive hole to fill in the middle of their defense.

Shaq Thompson will most likely take over Kuechly’s old middle linebacker role, assuming the team goes back to a 4-3 scheme. However, they will still need a new starter to put next to him. On the roster, Jermaine Carter Jr. is the best option to fill that role. If they decide to sign somebody in free agency, here are a few names they could consider.

Cory Littleton

Career stats: 64 games, 205 solo tackles, 20 tackles for a loss, three forced fumbles, 8.5 sacks, 14 QB hits, six interceptions, 26 pass breakups

Pros: After going undrafted out of Washington, Littleton spent his first two years as a backup for the Rams. He’s started every game over the last two seasons, though and he has come on quite strong. Littleton filled up the box score in 2019 and stood out in coverage. Pro Football Focus ranked him No. 7 among all inside linebackers for this year. He’s also just 26 years old.

Cons: On the downside, Littleton is great at covering pass-catching tight ends, but he has some room to improve in run defense. Fortunately, the Panthers just re-hired Al Holcomb as their run game defense coordinator, so he would be able to coach Littleton up in this area.