Why Ikem Ekwonu is a perfect fit for the Carolina Panthers
In a short amount of time, NC State All-American left tackle Ikem Ekwonu is set to become an instant millionaire. Ekwonu was selected with the sixth overall pick in the NFL Draft on Thursday evening by the Carolina Panthers.
Ekwonu is likely to sign a four-year deal worth $27.5 million with a $17.2 million signing bonus, all fully guaranteed. There will also be a fifth-year option for the Panthers. That would pay Ekwonu, at a minimum, a guaranteed amount calculated by the average of the third and 25th highest paid salaries at their respective position over the past five seasons.
That option year could be worth more if Ekwonu meets certain performance standards like a certain amount of playing time or making the Pro Bowl.
How likely is Ekwonu to meet those? In the case of playing time, an early viewing of the roster suggest he will have every opportunity.
Ikem Ekwonu Fits Clear Need For Carolina Panthers
Last season, Carolina ranked among the bottom 10 in the NFL in rushing yards per carry at 4.0. Note that in the NFL, unlike college, the stats do not include sack yardage lost. Any analysis of Ekwonu will fairly praise his ability as a run blocker.
Pro Football Focus (PFF) had Ekwonu as the highest graded run-blocking offensive tackle in college football since 2019. Ekwonu had a grade of 95.4, edging Kentucky’s Darrian Kinnard (94.9) and Virginia Tech’s Christian Darrisaw (92.2). Kinnard is expected to hear his name called Friday evening (The Athletic had Kinnard as the top-rated prospect available in day two), while Darrisaw was a first-round draft pick of the Minnesota Vikings and started 10 games as a rookie last season.
Furthermore, only four teams allowed more sacks than the Panthers’ 52 given up in 2021. While there are more questions about Ekwonu as a pass blocker than in the running game, the Panthers cannot do much worse protecting the quarterback than it did in 2021.
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Carolina’s depth chart shows a clear opening for Ekwonu, too. The lone bright spot on the Panthers offensive line is right tackle Taylor Moton. He has started every game for four years and is locked up on a contract through the 2024 season.
Other than Moton, nine different offensive linemen started games last season for the Panthers. This offseason, Carolina did sign a pair of offensive linemen, but both are likely interior players. Austin Corbett, who started every game for the Super Bowl champion Los Angeles Rams, signed a three-year, $29.25 million deal.
Baltimore Ravens starting center Bradley Bozeman signed a one-year deal that was surprisingly team-friendly at $2.8 million.
Ekwonu’s competition at tackle is likely to come from veteran Cameron Erving and the young Brady Christensen. The latter showed potential, but the Panthers would prefer to play him at guard. The former graded out at 56.0 last season by Pro Football Focus, 75th out of 84 tackles in the NFL.
Hence why Ekwonu made perfect sense for the Carolina Panthers.
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