Luke Kuechly: 5 Biggest Pros and Cons of 2012 NFL Draft Prospect

Isn't it a bit odd that the best player at the middle linebacker position in the 2012 NFL draft is getting the least amount of publicity of any potential first-round pick?

That might be fine for Luke Kuechly, the All-American player from Boston College. The less people talk about him, the more of an impact he can make in his first season in the NFL.

If someone who is 6'3" and 242 pounds is not intimidating enough, then maybe feeling the wrath of him wrapping his arms around you and tackling you might change your mind.

Kuechly became the fifth player in the history of Boston College and the 32nd player from the ACC to register 400 career tackles, according to SidelineScouting.com.

And while he is moving up the charts and could be a top-15 pick later on this evening, Kuechly is still one of the less talked about players in this draft.

Here is what SidelineScouting.com is saying about Kuechly and his NFL potential.

Very Productive Player

Luke Kuechly made 532 total tackles, declaring for the draft a year early just 13 tackles short of the FBS record.

To give you an idea of how consistent he is, Kuechly had recorded double-digit tackles in 33 consecutive games. He will be asked to give that same kind of production in the pros.

He's simply a ball hawk, always ending up near the play and finishing.

Loves to Hit People

Everyone that wants a dependable linebacker likes it when they hear that a player loves to hit other players.

"Luke Kuechly does not shy away from contact in any form, will take on blockers and wade through traffic at full speed to make a tackle."

Kuechly's natural; position in the pros may be on the weakside in a 3-4 defense.

The scouting report also says Kuechly is also known as a "cerebral linebacker who diagnoses plays very quickly and displays incredible instincts. He shows great discipline and is rarely out of position."

Immediate Impact

Kuechly has the potential to make an immediate impact in the NFL. According to his scouting report, "his style of play would work best playing for a team with a very good defensive line."

Kuechly was a winner of the Lombardi, Lott Impact and Nagurski trophies as a junior. That shows his ability to play all over the field, which will aid in pass coverage and stopping the run.

Not Great in Coverage

If there is one thing he needs to improve on is that he is "not a natural man-coverage backer and is not especially quick or agile with his back to the quarterback."

He makes tackles often but he also does not cover the tight end or running back out of the backfield.

Also, "he can get a little high at times when taking on blocks or forming up at the line of scrimmage, and he may have some difficulty taking down larger backs at the next level until he learns to play a little lower."

Not as Fast as You May Think

But as a linebacker, does he have to be?

On film, Kuechly shows decent speed but is not a burner by any means. But as scouts have stated, "he makes up for his lack of elite straight-line speed by always being in position."

He lacks the explosion off the ball like some other linebackers.