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Star Lotulelei's body of work at Utah paid off on draft day as the Carolina Panthers drafted him with the 14th pick of the NFL draft. Nationally, the pundits are impressed with the defensive tackle, but they had a few concerns.
"He's the kind of guy that is a stay at home defensive tackle, he's not going to give you a lot of pass rush, but he's strong, he's quick, he's a tough kid." said ESPN's Mel Kiper.
"Big time player, definitely someone who can get in front of Luke Kuechly, who was a terrific rookie linebacker last year." said ESPN's Chris Mortensen.
"At Utah he played a big percentage of snaps, not tired that's what you see. Leverage, power and explosion." said the NFL Network's Mike Mayock, "He's got scheme versatility. You can see explosion and quickness in his game. I love this kid over the center. He's got really good quick hands... defensive coordinator Sean McDermott is going to love having a piece to move around in sub packages."
ESPN's John Gruden had some worries about Lotulelei's ability to rush the passer, "If you can't rush the passer, you don't play. Against UCLA, he didn't play very much at all in their three down sub package. When you watch him on 3rd down, he's a limited pass rusher, that's my only concern.
"I thought a very good player, but the pass rush wasn't there, but certainly to free up your linebackers and occupy, that is what he's going to do." said Mel Kiper.
"He's had some weight issues, that's another concern, but he's a big powerful man." said John Gruden
