Dan Morgan: Ikem Ekwonu to Stay at Left Tackle

Ikem Ekwonu had a disappointing sophomore season. 

Following an up-and-down rookie year, expectations were sky-high for the sixth overall pick in 2022. The North Carolina State product failed to build upon his rookie season and left many wanting more following 2023. Carolina expected Ekwonu to be a building block and man Bryce Young's blindside, but questions about his future at left tackle abound.

According to Dan Morgan, the team hopes that 2023 was a sophomore slump for the talented tackle and not a sign of future struggles. 

At his pre-combine press conference, the Panthers' new general manager announced that Ikem Ekwonu will continue playing left tackle in 2024. Ekwonu was a stalwart on the left side. He played 1148 snaps in 2023, the fifth most among tackles in the league. Unfortunately, those 1148 snaps were marred with inconsistency.

Ekwonu allowed 11 sacks, the third most among tackles. PFF graded the second-year tackle as the 40th-best tackle out of 81 qualifiers. 

Specifically, Ekwonu struggles against speedy pass rushers. Time and time again Ekwonu failed to get out of his stance quick enough to set the edge on the left side of the line when he was at a speed disadvantage. His value comes in the run game.

What Ekwonu lacks in speed, he makes up for in power and strength. His most productive snaps come when the team is executing a power run scheme and he can get downhill. Down the stretch in 2022 when Steve Wilks and Ben McAdoo committed to pounding the rock, Ekwonu thrived. He dominated physically at the line of scrimmage pushing opposing linemen instead of dropping into a pass set 40 times a game.

Because his best moments come when he's able to play downhill with power, many assume Ekwonu would be an elite guard in the NFL. Talent evaluators believed that a position change may suit him long-term, but evidently, that will not happen this upcoming season.

Bryce Young was sacked 62 times in 2023, the second most among quarterbacks. Young struggled mightily in his rookie season, and a large reason for those struggles was the inconsistency of the offensive line. 

First-year head coach Dave Canales and Dan Morgan have a talented piece in Ikem Ekwonu. The lead duo in Carolina must believe that his flashes of talent at left tackle are enough to gamble on moving forward, and time will tell if it comes up aces or not.