Tag: Ikem Ekwonu

Panthers rookie Ikem Ekwonu won’t be given starting LT job

The Panthers may have drafted Ikem Ekwonu to be their franchise LT. But that doesn’t mean they’ll just hand him the job quite yet.

The Carolina Panthers may have drafted Ikem Ekwonu with the hopes of him becoming the franchise left tackle they’ve so desperately lacked. But that doesn’t mean they’re just going to give him the gig.

Head coach Matt Rhule said as much down in Spartanburg, S.C. as the team continues to settle into training camp. When asked if they’ve been easing in the 2022 sixth overall pick, seeing as though they have yet to run him on the blindside with the first team, Rhule told reporters that Ekwonu will have to earn that honor first.

“I don’t think we’re bringing along Ickey slowly,” he stated. “I think—as a rookie—you get opportunities, but you have to earn what you get. You have to fight and battle. Ickey’s gonna have to battle if he wants to be a starter, he certainly wants to be a starter. Ickey’s gonna have to battle. Brady’s [Christensen] gonna have to battle. And we’re just taking a very long approach here. We don’t need to make these decisions this week.”

Thus far, their decisions have had Christensen man the left tackle spot off the top. Last year’s third-round selection started in four games at the position during the 2021 campaign and gave a rather solid account of himself there.

But, we’re not even through the second week of camp yet. So expect Ekwonu, who’s done all the right things to this point, to keep chomping away at Christensen’s feet.

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Panthers OT Ikem Ekwonu sings for teammates at training camp

On Thursday, Panthers rookie Ikem Ekwonu revealed that he graced his teammates with a special musical performance.

Carolina Panthers offensive tackle Ikem Ekwonu has a well-documented past as an on-stage performer, specifically in musical theater. The 21-year-old hog molly—dating back to his middle and high school days—has picked up credits in classics such as The Jungle Book, The Aristocats and 101 Dalmatians.

Now, his latest work has come under spotlight of training camp, at Wofford College in Spartanburg, S.C.

Following Thursday’s practice, Ekwonu told reporters that his teammates requested a private concert—as a bit of rookie initiation. And according to the artist himself, it was a phenomenal performance.

“I did have to sing,” Ekwonu said with an ear-to-ear smile. “I had to sing ‘It’s So Hard to Say Goodbye [to Yesterday]’ by Boyz II Men. Got some applause, so I feel like I killed it.”

But was it worthy of a standing ovation . . . ?

“Maybe someone was back there standing,” he added. “I was just trying to get off stage if I’m being real with you.”

Encore or not, Ekwonu continued to impress on his main stage—the football field. He continued taking reps behind second-year lineman Brady Christensen on the blindside, working his way into the left tackle position.

And although he is set to embark on his NFL career, it’s still safe to say that his singing career has yet to come to the end of the road.

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Panthers 2022 training camp: 1 burning question at each position on offense

Which burning questions should the Panthers offense have figured out by the end of training camp?

Training camp is upon us, Carolina Panthers fans. So it’s time for that action!

But this time, as it does every summer, also brings a wide range of questions about the roster. And luckily, we’re here to break it down to the meat and potatoes.

Here, as we set up shop in Spartanburg, is one burning question for each position group on the Carolina offense.

Panthers OT Ikem Ekwonu: Ready to block for whoever coaches put out there

Whether it’s Baker Mayfield, Sam Darnold or Matt Corral under center, Panthers first-round pick Ikem Ekwonu is ready to block for them all.

Carolina Panthers offensive tackle Ikem Ekwonu won’t be getting paid to decide who should be starting under center. It’s only his job to make sure that whoever is there, stays there.

2022’s sixth overall pick spoke with NFL Network reporter Jane Slater from the OL Masterminds summit in Frisco, Texas this week. And with his Panthers just acquiring Baker Mayfield from the Cleveland Browns—and his general manager promptly declaring a quarterback competition for the summer—Ekwonu was asked about the situation.

“Whoever the coaching staff puts out there, I feel like we’ll be ready to go,” he said. “We’re all just excited to enter training camp. I feel like we all got full confidence in the coaching staff and whoever’s back there, I’ll be doing everything I can to keep him safe.”

Mayfield will have to fend off fellow 2018 draftee Sam Darnold and 2022 third-rounder Matt Corral to secure the reins for Carolina. That shouldn’t be too tough of a task for the former No. 1 overall pick, especially considering he’s—by far—the most proven commodity in the quarterback room as head coach Matt Rhule enters a make-or-break season.

As for Ekwonu’s position, he too is the early favorite for his own competition. The battle for the left tackle spot will also presumably feature Brady Christensen, who impressed on the blindside during his rookie campaign, and veteran Cameron Erving.

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Ranking the Panthers’ top offseason acquisitions

Although the Panthers still don’t have a good answer under center, they’ve made a handful of important additions this offseason. So, let’s rank ’em!

The first big step Carolina Panthers head coach Matt Rhule needed to take in 2022 was, well, taken. As we sit here now, on June 22, we can say that the man has pieced together a largely successful offseason to this point.

Although they remain void of an actual answer under center, the additions around that particular spot have put this Panthers team in a better position to succeed this upcoming season. So, let’s take a look (and rank) Carolina’s top acquisitions of the past few months.

PFF gives Panthers’ offensive line a (relatively) refreshing ranking

PFF believes the Panthers’ revamped offensive line is “bursting with potential” as it heads into the 2022 season.

The Carolina Panthers should be proud of the work they’ve done along its offensive line this year. But how proud?

According to Pro Football Focus, pretty darn proud.

In the site’s recent rankings of the NFL’s 32 units, lead draft analyst Mike Renner puts forth a refreshing and encouraging forecast for the Panthers’ revamped front. Not only does he not place them amongst the league’s very worst groups, but he also even admits his No. 24 ranking for Carolina is an optimistically cautious one.

“This is a conservative estimate for what was one of the worst offensive lines in the NFL last season — but it’s one that is now bursting with potential after multiple offseason moves,” Renner writes. “Taylor Moton has played more than 1,000 snaps and earned a 76.0-plus PFF grade in four straight seasons. That’s Carolina’s building block, and the team added a couple of free agents on the interior to raise the unit’s floor. The offensive line’s ultimate performance will obviously depend a lot on how quickly rookie Ikem Ekwonu can adjust to pass protecting at the NFL level after he earned only a 78.3 pass-blocking grade last season for N.C. State.”

Ekwonu, of course, is the crown jewel of the team’s solid offseason. The 6-foot-4, 310-pounder was (somehow) the first offensive lineman selected in the 2022 NFL draft and is expected to become the long-term left tackle this franchise has been sorely lacking.

General manager Scott Fitterer and head coach Matt Rhule also found themselves a few steals earlier in the spring with the free-agent signings of guard Austin Corbett and center Bradley Bozeman—who will serve as massive upgrades to the line’s interior.

This bunch, no doubt, is the most promising one the Panthers have fielded in quite some time.

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Watch: Panthers OT Ikem Ekwonu does ‘Ickey Shuffle’ after minicamp TD

Fittingly so, Thursday’s TD catch from Panthers OT Ikem Ekwonu was celebrated with a little bit of “The Ickey Shuffle.”

Carolina Panthers offensive tackle Ikem Ekwonu also goes by his nickname, “Ickey.” So, we all knew it’d only be a matter of time until he found an opening to break out “The Ickey Shuffle.”

That opening came on Thursday, during the team’s third and final outing of mandatory minicamp at Bank of America Stadium. During some red zone work, the 2022 sixth overall pick flashed a bit of that athleticism the organization drafted him for—just not how you might think he would . . .

Ekwonu, of course, was asked about his touchdown catch when speaking with reporters following practice. He stated, quite humbly, it was all a matter of just doing what he had to do.

“Yeah, I was just doin’ my job,” Ekwonu said. “Had to reach a little bit. Reach by the guy, kinda make him think I was just blockin’ him. Then last second, kinda release for a route. I knew Sam was gonna put it on the money, so I just had to catch it and I’m glad I was able to do my job.”

Although his this type of job may not come along too often for the 6-foot-4, 310-pounder, he’s probably going to make Ickey Woods proud of those moves regardless.

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Ikem Ekwonu, Brady Christensen favorites for Panthers’ LT job

Panthers first-round pick Ikem Ekwonu caught a TD pass during Thursday’s minicamp session. So if he somehow doesn’t land the LT gig, maybe he can line up wide in 2022.

Nothing is handed to you in the NFL, even if you’re an early first-round pick who plays a position your team has desperately needed to fill for almost a decade. And Ikem Ekwonu, who curiously (*wink*) fits that bill to a T, won’t be handed the Carolina Panthers’ starting left tackle spot.

On Friday, head coach Matt Rhule fielded questions following the team’s third and final day of mandatory minicamp. He was asked about what he needs to see out of this year’s sixth overall selection in earning blindside duties as rookie.

“Most rookie guys that start on the offensive line play at like a ‘B-‘, ‘B’ level. We need him to play at like an ‘A-‘ level, ‘A’ level,” Rhule responded. “So he not only has to fight to earn the job, and also play really well. So, again, I think for him it’s making sure he’s in shape, making sure his body weight’s where it needs to be, making sure that, ya know, he’s able to handle the rigors of camp.”

Rhule was then asked who will get the first-team reps at the position to start off training camp later this summer. But he didn’t have a clear-cut answer just get.

“I don’t know if we know that yet,” Rhule said to Joseph Person of The Athletic. “Brady [Christensen] or him [Ekwonu]. Cam’s [Erving] done a good job of mixing that up. We really try to do a good job of not getting too caught up in like ‘Hey, you’re the 1, you’re the 2.’ Players probably get caught up in that and everyone else. Cam does a good job during practice of mixing combinations. And I just know that Brady’s one of our better players on the team—not just on the offensive line, but on the team.”

Christensen, who’ll be entering his second pro campaign, shouldn’t be slept on just yet. The 2021 third-rounder held up quite well over four starts at left tackle last year—relinquishing three sacks over 267 pass-blocking snaps, according to Pro Football Focus.

And hey, if this left tackle thing somehow doesn’t work out for Ekwonu this season, perhaps he can start as a receiver. After all, his touchdown catch on Thursday was probably the highlight of the afternoon.

“Yeah, I was just doin’ my job,” Ekwonu said of his route running on the practice score. “Had to reach a little bit. Reach by the guy, kinda make him think I was just blockin’ him. Then last second, kinda release for a route. I knew Sam was gonna put it on the money, so I just had to catch it and I’m glad I was able to do my job.”

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9 biggest takeaways from Panthers’ 2022 OTAs

What did the 2022 OTAs reveal about the Panthers thus far? Here are nine interesting takeaways.

Thursday, which actually wound up playing host to a fun olympic event, marked the final day of 2022 organized team activities for the Carolina Panthers. And even though these workouts didn’t exactly give us any groundbreaking developments, we can come away with a handful of intriguing nuggets (nine, in fact) moving forward.

So, here they are . . .

Takeaways from Panthers’ 2022 rookie minicamp

What did the Panthers’ 2022 draft class take away from their first minicamp experience? And what can we take away from it?

The Carolina Panthers closed up shop on their 2022 installment of rookie minicamp this past weekend. And, let’s face it, it’s just rookie minicamp—so we aren’t getting any groundbreaking developments.

We did, however, get some interesting nuggets from the rookies themselves.

Here are the biggest takeaways from each member of the Panthers’ draft class, from the mouths of the members themselves.