Carolina Panthers select NC State offensive lineman Ikem Ekwonu in 2022 NFL Draft

The Carolina Panthers selected NC State offensive lineman Ikem Ekwonu, who has played both guard and tackled during his collegiate career, with the No. 6 overall pick in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft. After establishing himself as one of the top interior linemen in the country, he successfully made the shift outside where he is expected to stick.

At 6-foot-4, 288-pounds, Ikem Ekwonu entered the 2022 NFL Draft after winning All-American honors at tackle after winning All-ACC honors at both guard and tackle in 2020. Although offensive lineman do not fill the stat sheet, he did record 67 pancake blocks on 829 snaps played in 2021.

A former three-star recruit in the class of 2019, he was the No. 653 overall player in the nation per the On3 Consensus, a complete and equally weighted industry-generated average. The Charlotte, North Carolina native also ranked as the No. 46 interior offensive lineman and No. 27 player in his home state after playing at Providence Day School.

NFL draft analysts on Ikem Ekwonu

NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein broke down what Ikem Ekwonu can bring to the NFL in his recent scout of the offensive lineman’s draft profile. The analyst compared the NC State product to Pro Bowl and All-Pro offensive lineman Kelechi Osemele.

The NFL.com scout pointed out that while he is not the most finished product in the class, his power and size put him in a position to compete on every snap against elite edge rushers.

“A gentleman in class and killer on the grass, Ekwonu goes from amiable to angry once he steps foot on the field,” wrote Zierlein. “He’s a long-limbed athlete and scheme-diverse run blocker with the potential to win with positioning or force. He has a highlight reel full of violent strikes and finishes but needs to cut his aggression with a little more control.”