Factoid
Luke Kuechly and Mark Barron were selected with top-10 picks, and both should be immediate starters -- Kuechly at linebacker for Carolina, Barron at safety for Tampa Bay. Which one will be the more productive rookie?
Recent history suggests it will be Kuechly, but not by much. Over the last decade, 35 defenders have recorded 90-plus tackles in their rookie seasons. Nineteen of those players have been linebackers; 16 have been defensive backs (with the vast majority of those safeties, which is why we're not mentioning Cowboys cornerback Morris Claiborne or Buffalo corner Stephon Gilmore).
Carolina's initial plan was to put Kuechly, who recorded a ridiculous 191 tackles at Boston College last year, at weak side linebacker, with Jon Beason (who shows up on the below list) remaining in the middle. But Beason is coming off an Achilles injury, and at the recent minicamp, Kuechly took most of his reps at middle linebacker.
Both Kuechly and Barron should be among the first rookies drafted in IDP leagues, but there's considerably more upside with Kuechly -- especially if he does in fact start in the middle.
Rookies with 90-plus tackles, 2001-2011
Tckl Pos Player
174 ILB Patrick Willis
155 MLB DeMeco Ryans
140 MLB Jon Beason
133 OLB Brian Cushing
128 ILB Jerod Mayo
127 ILB David Harris
124 OLB Ernie Sims
123 SS T.J. Ward
120 MLB James Laurinaitis
119 OLB A.J. Hawk
116 LB Kirk Morrison
114 OLB D.J. Williams
112 MLB Nick Barnett
110 OLB Thomas Howard
107 MLB Jonathan Vilma
105 SS Kerry Rhodes
104 SS Donte Whitner
104 MLB Lofa Tatupu
103 FS Madieu Williams
102 OLB Teddy Lehman
102 SS Mike Doss
101 CB Alterraun Verner
100 FS Erik Coleman
100 CB Chris Cash
99 FS Roy Williams
98 MLB Odell Thurman
96 FS Ken Hamlin
96 SS Coy Wire
95 SS LaRon Landry
95 OLB Derrick Johnson
94 FS Louis Delmas
94 MLB Curtis Lofton
93 ILB D'Qwell Jackson
92 SS Eric Berry
90 SS Antoine Bethea
--Andy Richardson
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