NFL Rookie Watch: Panthers’ Star Lotulelei Dominant on Defense

The old adage ‘Defense Wins Championships’ might not hold as much weight as it used to, but having smart defenders is always a commodity. Here are six of the newest to join the National Football League and how they’ve helped–or hurt–their team through two weeks of play. The Good Star Lotulelei- DT, Carolina Panthers (1st round, 14th pick) Lotulelei has been a monster against the run. In 83 snaps, he’s managed four stops and has six total tackles. He was instrumental in preventing two of football’s best running backs–Marshawn Lynch and C.J. Spiller–from running up the middle, forcing runs to the outside (Lynch finished with 43 yards, Spiller gained 103). In addition to controlling runs up the middle, Lotulelei clogged the middle lanes which prevented quarterbacks E.J. Manuel and Russell Wilson from breaching the center of the pocket. Ezekiel Ansah- DE, Detroit Lions (1st round, 5th pick) Ansah has been a great addition to an already fearsome defensive line in 2013. Through 80 downs, ...