Excluding the quarterback, which Carolina Panther is the team’s most important player? How about the guy who protects him?
Pro Football Focus’ Dalton Wasserman recently named the most important non-quarterback for each NFL team. For the Panthers, he settles on left tackle Ikem Ekwonu—who has the massive responsibility of protecting the franchise’s blindside.
Wasserman writes:
Many are worried that Bryce Young won’t last in the NFL due to his slight frame. His left tackle, Ikem Ekwonu, is the man who can put those concerns to rest.
Ekwonu had a decent rookie season, playing every snap at left tackle and grading out at 65.3 overall. He had a couple of rough games in protection but also showed flashes of his massive talent, posting an 80.0-plus pass-blocking grade in four games. He was also occasionally dominant as a run blocker, demonstrated in part by his 96.1 run-blocking grade against San Francisco. Ekwonu could be one of the breakout stars in the NFL this year.
The Panthers eagerly selected Ekwonu with the sixth overall pick of last year’s draft, and he’d proceed to show us exactly why. In addition to those impressive grades, the local product displayed consistent signs of growth while playing in every single offensive snap for Carolina in 2022.
And now, he has the job of keeping this year’s first-round selection in on every snap in 2023.
