Carolina Panthers' rising first-round pick named breakout player to watch at minicamp

Ickey Ekwonu is entering his fouth year in the NFL, and appears poised to finally have his breakout season.

Dec 22, 2024; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Panthers offensive tackle Ikem Ekwonu (79) takes the field during the first quarter against the Arizona Cardinals at Bank of America Stadium. | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

On a list of x-factors for the Carolina Panthers in 2025, Bryce Young and Dave Canales and their respective development has to be at the very top. After that, they'll need some of their defensive additions to serve as serious upgrades over what they fielded last season. Next, a few key vets who are coming into their prime have to take the next step - especially left tackle Ickey Ekwonu.

Now entering his fourth year in the NFL, Ekwonu has slowly and steadily improved each season since entering the league. Looking ahead, the Panthers need him to finally hit his peak and start playing like a top 10 overall pick.

According to Pro Football Network, Ekwonu is their breakout player to watch for the Panthers at next week's "mandatory" minicamp.

"The Carolina Panthers picked up the fifth-year option on Ikem Ekwonu in April. To those who might not have paid much attention to the team last year, that might come as a surprise. Though Ekwonu struggled early in his NFL career, he leveled out in 2024. He ranked 11th among 140 eligible tackles with an 80.5 PFF run blocking grade. Carolina has him under contract through 2026, but another strong year this season could earn him a massive extension."

Oct 13, 2024; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Panthers offensive tackle Ikem Ekwonu (79) is introduced before the game at Bank of America Stadium. | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

As PFN mentioned, Ekwonu did take a step forward in 2024, especially in run blocking. Next, Ekwonu will have to level up his pass protection. According to Pro Football Focus, Ekwonu gave up 39 pressures, five hits and seven sacks last year. They gave him a 66.2 pass blocking grade for the season, which ranked just 65th at his position.

There are only 64 starting offensive tackles in the league at any given point in the season, so Ekwonu is going to have to keep Bryce Young cleaner in the pocket than that if he's going to earn a long-term contract extension. If there's no progress in this department or if Ekwonu regresses the Panthers could decide to go a different direction at left tackle.

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