Ikem Ekwonu

2022 - 4 - 28

Post cover — Image courtesy of "Charlotte Observer"

Panthers pick Charlotte native Ikem Ekwonu from NC State in NFL ... (Charlotte Observer)

The Carolina Panthers chose offensive tackle Ikem Ekwonu with the sixth pick in the 2022 NFL draft. Ekwonu played at NC State and is a Charlotte native.

“I just want to do everything I can to help win,” Ekwonu said Thursday night. Ekwonu grew up in Charlotte, where he went to Providence Day High School. He played football, track & field and wrestling, where he was a state champion. Panthers general manager Scott Fitterer said he was shocked that all three of the top tackles were still on the board. “This was the best-case scenario for us,” Fitterer said. We walked away like ‘wow. That’s a grown man.” That’s what the Panthers were quietly hoping for, so they could get a highly rated player while still addressing perhaps their most pressing need, a source with direct knowledge told The Charlotte Observer in March.

Pros and cons of the Carolina Panthers picking NC State football's ... (The Fayetteville Observer)

Who drafted Ikem Ekwonu in the 2022 NFL Draft? Here's what the Carolina Panthers should expect after taking the NC State football offensive lineman.

"He has lived up to his name," his father, Tagbo, who goes by T.J., told the USA TODAY Network. T.J. stands 6-foot-6 and played college basketball in Nigeria before immigrating to the United States and becoming a doctor. Ekwonu may have entered college as a three-star prospect, but he's become one of the most fierce and respected offensive tackles in the 2022 draft class. His size and athletic ability allow him to play either tackle or guard at the NFL level. I've grown up a Carolina Panthers fan and now I'm about to be in that building, it's crazy to me." "He’s one of those guys that puts his helmet on and changes," N.C. State coach Dave Doeren said. "It's a dream come true," Ekwonu told the NFL Network after he was drafted.

BREAKING: Carolina Panthers Draft NC State OT Ikem Ekwonu (Sports Illustrated)

Moments ago, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell announced that the Carolina Panthers have selected North Carolina State offensive lineman Ikem Ekwonu sixth ...

Ekwonu projects as a starting guard early on in his career who will make a difference as a run blocker. Ekwonu is a competitive finisher, consistently creating movement in the run game and possessing the footspeed to pass protect on the interior. Playing with his chest over his toes hurts his balance and he struggles in pass protection on an island.

2022 NFL Draft grades: Panthers pick Ikem Ekwonu at No. 6 overall ... (CBSSports.com)

Ekwonu is considered to be arguably the top offensive tackle prospect in this year's draft and was even sitting atop mock drafts as the potential No. 1 overall ...

The Lions have to be able to impact the quarterback better than they did last year. Pete Prisco: They need a pass-rusher in the worst way, and they have to be thrilled that Hutchinson fell to them here. With the Panthers, Ekwonu is poised to raise the ceiling for an offensive line that struggled to protect the quarterback in 2021. Matt Rhule's team was rumored to possibly trade down at this spot or be in the quarterback market. Ekwonu is considered to be arguably the top offensive tackle prospect in this year's draft and was even sitting atop mock drafts as the potential No. 1 overall pick at certain points during the pre-draft process. Ikem Ekwonu is off the board.

Panthers select OT Ikem Ekwonu with 6th overall pick (Panthers Wire)

The Carolina Panthers were hoping they'd have at least one of the 2022 NFL draft's top three hog mollies available to them on Thursday night.

“Ekwonu will be highly valued as a versatile offensive lineman with elite traits who can play multiple positions effectively,”Miller writes. “His length, athleticism, and character will be coveted by teams at the top of the draft, as the very coachable tackle can be molded into a franchise cornerstone and blindside protector for the next decade or more.” The Carolina Panthers were hoping they’d have at least one of the 2022 NFL draft’s top three hog mollies available to them on Thursday night.

Who is Ikem Ekwonu? 7 things you should know about 2022 NFL ... (Raleigh News & Observer)

Who is Ikem Ekwonu? Former NC State left tackle was selected by his hometown Carolina Panthers with No. 6 pick in first round of 2022 NFL Draft Thursday ...

Dave Doeren’s class of 2019 might be his best yet, and Ekwonu was ranked as the ninth-best player in the 24-man class. “I played flag football before I played Pop Warner,” Ekwonu said in November. “I just loved getting the ball and running with it. “By his junior year, he started playing on varsity and you realized there was something different about him, that he had the ability.” You have to have the mindset that you’re going to be a dog on the mat or on the field, you just have to be a dog. The Pancake King of Raleigh gets a bottle of syrup every time he flattens (or pancakes) an opponent. After three stellar seasons at N.C. State, Ekwonu could become the first Wolfpack player since Mario Williams to go No. 1 overall.