Luke Kuechly To Panthers With 9th Overall Pick In 2012 NFL Draft

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — The Panthers have selected linebacker Luke Kuechly from Boston College with the ninth overall pick in the NFL draft, hoping to bolster a defense which finished 28th in the league last season.

Kuechly is expected to compete for a starting job right away at outside linebacker with Thomas Davis, who is coming off three torn ACLs in the past three seasons.

Kuechly averaged 14 tackles per game for his career and received the Bronko Nagurski Award for the nation's top defensive player. He is the only ACC player to lead the league in tackles three times in his career.

The Panthers had needs up and down the defense heading into Thursday's draft, but decided to go with Kuechly, the most proven defensive player left on the draft board.

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• No. 1 Andrew Luck (QB, Stanford) - Indianapolis Colts

• No. 2 Robert Griffin III (QB, Baylor) - Washington Redskins

• No. 3 Trent Richardson (RB, Alabama) - Cleveland Browns

  Acquired via trade with Minnesota

• No. 4 Matt Kalil (OT, USC) - Minnesota Vikings

  Traded down with Cleveland to No. 4

• No. 5 Justin Blackmon (WR, OK ST) - Jacksonville Jaguars

  Acquired from Tampa Bay for No. 7 pick.

• No. 6 Morris Claiborne (CB, LSU) - Dallas Cowboys

  Traded up with St. Louis to get No. 6 pick.

• No. 7 Mark Barron (S, Alabama) - Tampa Bay Buccaneers

  Traded down from No. 5 to No. 7 (with Jaguars)

• No. 8 Ryan Tannehill (QB, Texas A&M) - Miami Dolphins

• No. 9 Luke Kuechly (ILB, BC) - Carolina Panthers

• No. 10 Stephon Gilmore (DB, South Carolina) - Buffalo Bills

• No. 11 Dontari Poe (DT, Memphis) - KC Chiefs

• No. 12 Fletcher Fox (DT, Miss. St) - Philadelphia Eagles

  Traded up with Seattle to get No. 12 pick.

• No. 13 Michael Floyd (WR, Notre Dame) - Arizona Cardinals

• No. 14 Michael Brockers (DT, LSU) - St. Louis Rams

  Rams traded down to No. 14 with Dallas.

• No. 15 Bruce Irvin (CB, WVU) - Seattle Seahawks

  Traded down to No. 15 with the Eagles.

• No. 16 Quinton Coples (DE, UNC) - New York Jets

• No. 17 Dre Kirkpatrick (CB, Alabama) - Cincinnati Bengals

  Acquire pick through the Carson Palmer trade

• No. 18 Melvin Ingram (DE, South Carolina) - SD Chargers

• No. 19 Shea McClellin (OLB, Boise State) - Chicago Bears

• No. 20 Kendall Wright (WR, Baylor) - Tennessee Titans

• No. 21 Chandler Jones (DE, Syracuse) - New England Patriots

  Acquired via trade with Cincinnati

• No. 22 Brandon Weeden (QB, OK ST) - Cleveland Browns

• No. 23 Riley Reiff (OT, Iowa) - Detroit Lions

• No. 24 David DeCastro (OG, Stanford) - Pittsburgh Steelers

• No. 25 Dont'a Hightower (ILB, Alabama) - New England Patriots

  Acquired via trade with Denver

• No. 26 Whitney Mercilus (DE, Illinois) - Houston Texans

• No. 27 Kevin Zeitler (OG, Wisconsin) - Cincinnati Bengals

  Acquired via trade with Patriots.

• No. 28 Nick Perry (DE, USC) - Green Bay Packers

• No. 29 Harrison Smith (S, Notre Dame) - Minnesota Vikings

  Acquires via trade with Baltimore.

• No. 30 A.J. Jenkins (WR, Illinois) - San Francisco 49ers

• No. 31 Doug Martin (RB, Boise State) - Tampa Bay Buccaneers

  Acquired via trade with Denver.

• No. 32 Davis Wilson (RB, Va. Tech) - NY Giants

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