The Carolina Panthers won’t be going into the 2021 regular season with the best depth at the linebacker position. They will, however, be going in with one heck of a player they probably didn’t expect they’d have a few months ago.
Frankie Luvu has made splashes all throughout the summer for Carolina, through impressive outings in practice and impactful performances in preseason play. And that preseason play has not gone unnoticed over with the eyes at Pro Football Focus.
Frankie Luvu finishes the preseason as the #Panthers highest graded defensive player (91.2).
Luvu tied for the 2nd most total pressures (4) and stops (3) on 47 total snaps for Carolina. pic.twitter.com/6BgJgjXNE7
— PFF CAR Panthers (@PFF_Panthers) August 29, 2021
The 6-foot-3, 236-pound backer broke into the NFL upon signing on with the New York Jets as an undrafted free agent in 2018. He’d spend three seasons in the green, primarily as a special teams presence despite his effectiveness in bursts on defense.
We’re starting to see more of that effectiveness with his expanded role for the Panthers throughout the preseason. In addition to the fine numbers above, Luvu has totaled six tackles, a sack, a forced fumble and a pass deflection in the middle of Carolina’s defense.
Again, the team is hurting behind its starting trio and general manager Scott Fitterer and head coach Matt Rhule will certainly be sifting through the post-cut market on Tuesday to fill out holes at the position. Luvu, however, is anything but a void for the personnel moving forward.
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