The Carolina Panthers released Kawann Short yesterday. He hasn’t played much since 2018 due to multiple season-ending shoulder injuries, but when he was healthy Short was one of the NFL’s most underrated defensive tackles and we’re willing to bet that he could be an impactful defender again.
Hopefully Short will get to sign with a team that gives him a legitimate chance to win a championship. As it happens, there are several potential 2021 contenders who could use some help at this spot, or just an extra shot in the arm defensively to get over the top. Let’s rank seven of them.