Jackson
Kuwatch.
Jackson
Kuwatch.
Miami (OH)· 6'4"· 232 lb· 4.64s 40
R7 · #227 · Carolina Panthers"An early-career Blake Martinez profile: a tall, high-volume tackler who arrives as a core special teamer and has to prove his coverage floor before the defense trusts him on third down."Pre-draft read
Kuwatch plays downhill, applying constant pressure. He utilizes his length to stack and shed blockers at the point of attack, delivering a physical strike on contact. His short-area quickness allows him to redirect inside the box, which is evidenced by his 6.95 three-cone time. He excels on early downs, reading run flow, filling gaps with square shoulders, and finishing tackles.
His five sacks in 2025 came primarily from timed pressures and delayed interior blitzes, leveraging his speed off the second level against climbing backs or guards, rather than from a pre-planned rush. In coverage, Miami largely deployed him to carry hooks and match crossers. There is limited film of him turning and running with tight ends or matching backs in space.
Carolina's recent defensive alignments have emphasized a 3-4 style, with two inside linebackers responsible for playing downhill against the run and occasionally blitzing the A-gap.
As a rookie, Kuwatch projects as a core special teams player, with the ceiling to develop into a two-down, run-stuffing inside linebacker.
A Fangio-style two-high coverage scheme that asks him to play sideline-to-sideline or execute complex coverage assignments would neutralize his strengths.
Kuwatch's downhill play, length, and special teams experience make him a natural fit for a physical, run-first 3-4 defense looking for a box linebacker with special teams value.
Jackson Kuwatch All-22 Highlights | Carolina Panthers
All-22 cut of his 2025 season at Miami (OH) showing the downhill fills, the stack-and-shed length and the timed interior blitzes that produced his five sacks.
Jackson Kuwatch finds out he's a Carolina Panther | 2026 NFL Draft
Draft-day call from the Panthers with the 227th pick, capping the walk-on-to-draft-pick arc.
OVERLOOKED GEM: Carolina Panthers FIND Value in Jackson Kuwatch
Podcast breakdown of the selection, the special-teams projection and the questions around a one-year production sample.
Jackson Kuwatch projects as a downhill thumper at the linebacker position, offering immediate value as a core special teams player with the potential to develop into a rotational defender. His length for the position, combined with his short-area quickness as demonstrated by his 6.95 three-cone, provides a foundation for teams seeking a physical presence on the second level.
Kuwatch arrived at Miami (OH) after two seasons as a preferred walk-on at Ohio State, where he did not play. He spent two more years at Miami contributing on special teams before his breakout 2025 season. Starting all fourteen games, he led the defense with 109 tackles, adding 10 tackles for loss and five sacks, earning third-team All-MAC honors. This single year of starting production against predominantly MAC competition defines his evaluation.
Evaluators noted his one-year production spike and the limited exposure to complex coverage assignments against Power Four competition were concerns. Despite not receiving a Combine invitation, his pro day numbers were competitive. Kuwatch was selected by the Carolina Panthers with the 227th pick, who cited his special teams value.
- 01
Exceptional Length
Exceptional second-level length, using his 6-4 frame and arm extension to maintain separation from blockers at the point of attack.
- 02
Short-Area Quickness
Possesses legitimate short-area quickness for his size, demonstrated by a 4.30 shuttle and 6.95 three-cone at his pro day.
- 03
Reliable Finisher
A reliable finisher on contact, consistently wrapping up and driving through the ballcarrier to complete tackles.
- 04
Quick Downhill Trigger
Quick downhill trigger on early downs, accurately reading run flow and filling gaps without being washed laterally.
- 05
Timed Blitz Effectiveness
Effective on timed blitzes, using his closing burst to exploit interior and delayed pressure opportunities for sacks.
- 01
One Season Production
The majority of his career production, including 89 percent of his tackles and all five sacks, occurred in his single starting season.
- 02
Limited Coverage Ability
Limited tape showcasing his ability in coverage against receiving tight ends or backs in open space due to Miami's defensive scheme.
- 03
Level of Competition
Level of competition was a factor, with only one game against a Power Four opponent during his breakout 2025 season.
- 04
Lacks Pass-Rush Plan
Lacks a developed pass-rush plan beyond timed initial moves, offering no counter if the first attempt is thwarted.
— — — positional median (p50)
- 40 yd
- 4.64sp50
- Vertical
- —in
- Broad jump
- —in
- Three-cone
- 6.95sp50
- Shuttle
- 4.30sp50
- Bench
- —rep
| Yr | Team | G | Tkl | Sk | Int | PD | FF |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Miami (OH) | 10 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2024 | Miami (OH) | 9 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2025 | Miami (OH) | 14 | 101 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Career | — | 33 | 115 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
A dash means the figure is not published by a source we trust — never a zero we invented.
Honors
- Third-team All-Mid-American Conference in 2025 after leading the RedHawks with 109 tackles
- Started all 14 games for a Miami (OH) team that reached its third straight MAC Championship Game and played in a bowl against Fresno State
- Academic All-MAC in 2024
- Preferred walk-on at Ohio State in 2021 who never played a varsity snap there and left as a transfer in April 2023
- First-team All-Ohio, first-team All-GMC and Southwest Ohio Defensive Player of the Year as a senior at Lakota West High School
- Shrine Bowl invitee who intercepted a pass on the final play of the game
A four-phase special teams core player who takes 150 to 250 defensive snaps a year in base packages and sticks on a roster for most of a decade.
A high-volume off-ball starter who leads a defense in tackles for several years because the downhill instincts translate and the coverage becomes merely adequate rather than disqualifying.
A camp-body linebacker who never separates on teams and cycles between practice squads because the one-year production sample never repeats.
Everything above is the pre-draft evaluation. This section is what actually happened — updated year over year.
Carolina traded up the board for a linebacker and said out loud what the pick was: special teams first. Kuwatch is 6-4 with a 4.30 shuttle and a 109-tackle season in the MAC, and he spent two full years covering kicks at Miami before he ever started on defense, which is precisely the résumé that survives a September roster cut.
The defensive projection is narrower. The instincts and the downhill trigger are real on early downs; the coverage tape is a single season of evidence against MAC offenses, and there is no combine data to check it against.
Realistic outcome: a four-phase core special teamer who plays 150 to 250 base-package defensive snaps a year and holds a roster spot for most of a decade. The high end is a Blake Martinez-style volume starter if the coverage becomes merely adequate rather than disqualifying; the floor is a camp body whose one big production year never repeats.