Panthers rookie Ikem Ekwonu can be a force in the NFL. The film explains why
A few days after the Panthers made tackle Ikem Ekwonu the first offensive player selected in the 2022 NFL draft, I had an interesting conversation with an NFL scout about his future.
(“Ekwonu) can come in there and take any spot he wants,” an NFL scout told The Observer. “Carolina has done a nice job rebuilding its line this year. He is going to be (the team’s) best guy up front.”
The beauty of the NFL draft is there is no exact science. Every scout, analyst and evaluator is doing their best to project future ceilings and floors for more than 300 prospects per year. Which is why it isn’t surprising that other scouts and NFL Network draft analyst Lance Zierlein told me Ekwonu would be better starting his career at guard than at left tackle.
In a way, all these scouts are saying the same thing. Ekwonu is a beast, ready to unleash his dominance on NFL defenders, regardless of position. The scout I quoted has the best understanding of the Panthers roster. Ekwonu is the future left tackle of the Carolina Panthers. The team plans on starting him there.
He signed his rookie contract on Tuesday and is expected to be a full participant in the upcoming rookie minicamp this week. Is he ready to be an NFL force as a rookie? Let’s see what the tape says.
In the run game
Before we get to the tape, I want to give a quick shoutout to my colleague, the great Jonas Pope IV. He had this stat in a recent Ekwonu story and I’ve been thinking about it for weeks.
Ekwonu led the team with 67 pancake blocks and 18 knockdowns. He allowed just two sacks in 829 snaps.
Combine that data with his three consensus All-American honors and it’s obvious the Panthers acquired a blue-chip prospect. His tape agrees. Ekwonu is a quick study.
Whether he’s going against OOGs (other occupation guys) in the ACC or handling former Florida State defensive end Jermaine Johnson (Jets’ No. 26 pick), Ekwonu consistently handles his assignments while mixing in doses of dominance.
Keep an eye on No. 79 playing at left tackle for the duration of this exercise.
On this first play, N.C. State called a wide zone run to the boundary. At the snap, he works a quick double-team on the edge before climbing to the second level where he meets a downhill screaming safety.
Ekwonu caught him late, but it didn’t matter. Once his hands lock, it’s over. He flips the Mississippi State defender, tossing him aside.
It should not surprise anyone that this next play is another pancake block.
N.C. State again ran a wide-zone run. This time Ekwonu stayed locked on Mississippi State edge rusher DeShawn Page. Everything about this rep should make Panthers offensive line coach James Campen utter excitement-filled cuss words.
Campen wants an offensive line that plays with a mean streak within the rules. That’s who Ekwonu is. The above play proves it. He’s explosive, in control and powerful from start to finish.
This next play highlights Ekwonu’s intelligence and patience as a run blocker. Don’t expect him to get away with setting blocks up like this in the pros, but it’s unicorn-like at the college level.
Ekwonu starts at left tackle but is the No. 3 man on an overload set. With no defenders over him, Ekwonu moves quickly to the second level before turning his back to the left sideline. Knowing the gap run is coming his way, he creates a wall for the N.C. State running back to maneuver behind him for a 6-yard gain.
As a pass blocker
For how accomplished Ekwonu is as a run blocker, he has inefficiencies in pass protection. The above play exemplifies his lagging feet versus speed rushers.
He delays his pass set after opening and decided to catch Mississippi State defensive end Randy Charlton. Then Charlton rips underneath Ekwonu and he struggles to recover.
He doesn’t give up a sack or hurry, but against an NFL pass rush, this won’t suffice.
But he’s a quick learner. On the very next play, Ekwonu connects first and wins with a strike-pull technique. By staying square, and keeping his hands inside, Ekwonu controls his defender and finishes him quickly.
The next Trent Williams?
Ekwonu does not need to become a nine-time Pro Bowler and one of the best players of his generation to be considered a success. But it should excite fans that his ceiling is Trent Williams 2.0.
He models his game after the 49ers’ left tackle.
“People don’t like when I say that because it is hard to do what he does. But I feel like the combination he has of finesse and just being a brawler. The way he does things is kind of unconventional,” Ekwonu said during his introductory press conference. “I kind of feel like I want to do that, too.”
49ers coach Kyle Shanahan deploys Williams the way Miley Cyrus swings on a wrecking ball. It’s a weapon.
These two clips need no explanation. When San Francisco needed a play with its season on the line Shanahan put Williams in motion and let him clear a wide-open lane on a third-and-1 fourth-quarter run.
Campen, offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo and coach Matt Rhule now have a force of mass destruction on their roster. Ekwonu is ready to come into his rookie season like a wrecking ball.
