Luke Kuechly Agrees To Contract With Carolina Panthers

Former Boston College linebacker Luke Kuechly agreed to terms with the Carolina Panthers on Thursday night, two weeks after the team made him the No. 9 overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft.

Kuechly's four-year deal will pay him $12.578 million total, including a $7.58 million signing bonus.

The Panthers don't yet have a set plan to utilize Kuechly, who established school and ACC career records with 532 career tackles during his three-year college career. But coach Ron Rivera said he is looking forward to having Kuechly on his roster.

"We're going to look at it, we really are, and just see how it all meshes," Rivera said. "This is one of those picks where it makes your group better and your unit better. The reason we drafted the kid is he has tremendous versatility.

"Whether he's playing the Sam, the Mike or the Will for us, this guy has an opportunity to make an impact for us. We're going to put the best football players on the field and we're going to play them."

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NFL Draft 2012: Boston College Linebacker Luke Kuechly Picked By Carolina Panthers At No. 9

NFL Draft 2012: Luke Kuechly Projected To Pittsburgh Steelers

In SB Nation's latest 2012 NFL Mock Draft, Ryan Van Bibber projects that Luke Kuechly will be selected No. 24 in the first round by the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Kuechly has often been projected as a higher-first round selection, but Van Bibber notes that it's difficult to place the former Boston College linebacker.

I have a hard time placing Kuechly, first-round linebacker bias. He could be picked in the first 15 spots; he could fall to the end of the round. Pittsburgh would be fortunate to find him here. Needing youth in their linebacker group, Kuechly would be a franchise cornerstone for years to come.

Kuechly set the Boston College and ACC career tackle record with 532 tackles in just three seasons, then erased any doubts that might have existed about his athleticism at the NFL Combine. He's considered as can't-miss as any defensive prospect in the draft.

For more BC Football coverage, visit our team page and blog, BC Interruption.

NFL Draft 2012, Luke Kuechly: LB Projected to Arizona Cardinals

In SB Nation's latest 2012 NFL Mock Draft, Ryan Van Bibber projects that linebacker Luke Kuechly of Boston College will be selected by the Arizona Cardinals with the 13th pick of the 2012 NFL Draft.

Passing on a talent like Kuechly would be ill advised for the Cardinals, even with needs on their offensive line and pass rushers available with this pick. Next to Daryl Washington, Kuechly solidifies the middle of the field for the Cardinals.

Kuechly declared for the draft after his junior season with little else to prove at the NCAA level. In just three seasons, Kuechly established BC and ACC career tackle records with 532 tackles and came within 13 tackles of breaking the all-time NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision record.

Mocking The Draft ranks Kuechly No. 14 in its 2012 NFL Draft Overall Rankings, noting that Kuechly is NFL-ready but might not have as high a ceiling as other prospects "because he's not the strongest or a natural athlete."

For more BC Football coverage, visit our team page and blog, BC Interruption.

Luke Kuechly Headlines Boston College Football Pro Day 2012

CHESTNUT HILL - Thirty two athletes from across the state of Massachusetts and beyond convened inside the bubble at Alumni Stadium on Wednesday for the annual Boston College Football Pro Day. Eight former Eagles highlighted the group, including star linebacker and projected top 15 pick Luke Kuechly, who received most of the attention.

"I thought it went pretty well," said Kuechly, who participated in limited drills. "All we did was position drills today, so it went pretty smoothly. We had about four guys in our group, so they kind of had us working a little bit. I felt pretty [good], a lot of stuff I had done before. So it wasn't anything too new, there's a couple of things that were a little bit different variations of some things that I have done. Overall, it went pretty smoothly."

Kuechly's group was led by Philadelphia Eagles linebacker coach Mike Caldwell, who Kuechly has met with before. The Eagles are one of the teams rumored to be interested in Kuechly's services. Most draft experts have Kuechly pegged as a top 15 pick in the upcoming 2012 NFL Draft. Kuechly won the Lombardi Trophy, Brokno Nagurski Award and Lott IMPACT Trophy last season after leading the nation in total and solo tackles.

In addition to Kuechly, seven other Eagles worked out in front of scouts at BC's Pro Day. Tight end Lars Anderson, defensive back Donnie Fletcher, defensive end Max Holloway, wide receiver Ifeanyi Momah, punter Ryan Quigley, center/offensive lineman Mark Spinney and fullback/linebacker Dan Williams all represented BC at the event.

Nine other schools were represented at Alumni Stadium. UMass had eight athletes take part in Pro Day, including linebacker Tyler Holmes and tailback Jonathan Hernandez. Holy Cross and Harvard had four athletes in attendance while Merrimack had three, Endicott had two and Dartmouth, Delaware and Salve Regina each had one player.

Thirty four team representatives from 27 different NFL franchises watched the event.

AUDIO: Luke Kuechly Interview - Boston College Football Pro Day (3-21-12)

For more BC Football coverage, visit our team page and blog, BC Interruption.

Boston College Football Pro Day: Luke Kuechly, Eagles Prepare For 2012 NFL Draft

Luke Kuechly, formerly of the Boston College Eagles, will join several of his former teammates to work out in front of scouts at Boston College Football Pro Day, which begins at 11 a.m. EDT on Wednesday at Alumni Stadium.