Behind the Panthers Pick of OT Ickey Ekwonu
Adjusting to life in the NFL shouldn't be all that difficult for new Panthers offensive lineman Ikem Ekwonu. The former NC State mauler lived in Charlotte his entire life and even grew up a fan of the team that would go on to select him in the 2022 NFL Draft.
This means more breakfast trips to Le Peep and lunches and dinners at Improper Pig and Pizza Peel, just a few of Ickey's favorite restaurants in and around the city.
Being drafted is a surreal moment, but for Ikem, it truly hit home.
"I mean honestly, it is just crazy. You know, obviously, I have grown up in Charlotte playing football throughout my years. Stayed home and went to NC State. So, I have been in North Carolina my whole life," Ekwonu said. "That fact that every step of my football journey I have been in North Carolina I feel like that says something. I am just really excited for this next opportunity.
"I actually had a Thomas Davis jersey growing up. And I actually met Thomas Davis this morning as well. So, it’s kind of crazy how things line up. I was at the NFC Championship game when they beat the Cardinals. I was right in the end zone. I‘ve been to a couple games. I’ve been able to see the ups and downs of the team and just fortunate to have such an impact on the team’s legacy."
Seeing Ekwonu free fall to the Panthers at six was something no one, including Panthers GM Scott Fitterer and head coach Matt Rhule, saw coming. They figured he would be long gone and in many of their mock projections, he never made it to six. Their hope was that at least one of the offensive tackles would still be available. Like a gift sent from God, the best offensive tackle in the draft fell right into their lap and it made the decision very easy.
"I was actually very surprised that all three tackles were there," Fitterer said. "We had started to hear that four defenders may go first, one, two, three, four. But in this situation, this is the best case scenario for us. I can’t say a couple of days ago we would ever have thought this would happen. We were pleasantly surprised as it went. The Giants, we didn’t know what they were going to do in that situation with all three on the board. We thought they could go with a pass rusher at that point and not tackle and still get their guy at seven, one of the three at seven. Overall, we were very excited and can’t wait to get this guy here."
Coming into the draft, there was a lot of speculation about the Panthers possibly trading back to try and recoup some of those day two picks that they no longer have. But as Fitterer mentioned earlier this week, if there is a franchise-changing player there, they weren't going to pass on him.
I asked Fitterer how busy the phones were when they went on the clock and shockingly, it wasn't ringing off the hook as you would have imagined.
"You know with the corners being gone, they were the ones kind of driving all the trade talk, so it was not as active. There was a lot of pre‐draft trade talk. Guys, hey if this happens, this happens. You got a feel from other teams as they were starting to come up for the corners or wanted to come up for the corners or the pass rushers. When those guys went, it got a little bit more quiet than we thought might happen at the pick.""You know with the corners being gone, they were the ones kind of driving all the trade talk, so it was not as active. There was a lot of pre‐draft trade talk. Guys, hey if this happens, this happens. You got a feel from other teams as they were starting to come up for the corners or wanted to come up for the corners or the pass rushers. When those guys went, it got a little bit more quiet than we thought might happen at the pick."
The moment the pick was made, I could just envision new Panthers offensive line coach "Campy" aka James Campen grinning from ear to ear and throwing around a couple of fist pumps. He wanted some gritty mothe--- well, you know. And he got exactly that with Ikem Ekwonu. this is a guy that dramatically improves the offensive line and is what Scott Fitterer calls a "tone setter".
"He is a smart guy. He is physical. He’s tough. He’s got every trait that you want in an offensive lineman. We are excited about that. He came in here and met with us a week or two ago and really impressed everybody so much. (Offensive line coach) James Campen and (assistant offensive line coach Robert) Kugler, they went down, they met with him, they walked out and they were like, ‘Wow, this guy just blows us away with his intelligence.’ Then you just watch the physical style that he brings. I think he’s a great, great addition to this offensive line. Part of this offseason was to fix the offensive line. That was our intention. That was our priority. I think this is a great step forward for that."
Most probably figured that with both Malik Willis and Kenny Pickett still on the board, that the Panthers would go in that direction to give Sam Darnold some competition. Although that could happen in the next two days, even Matt Rhule knew Ekwonu was too much of a talent to pass on. This wasn't about trying to save anyone's job, it was about what would make this franchise better. Rhule knew right away this was the guy he wanted.
"I think just having him on the visit, obviously everyone sees the tape, sees the way that he can play. I mean even after we drafted him, Chanelle (Smith‐Walker) who works in our social media department, she’s taking pictures, she said, 'We got Ikey?' She worked at NC State, she loved him. I think when he came in the building, it was like a bolt of energy. Just really a special person to go along with his physical style of play. There is no doubt that he can pass set, that he can run block, he’s got all those tools. I also believe the person that he is. He’s from right here in Charlotte, he went to Providence Day. This is going to be a special place for him. We talked everything from favorite restaurants, to blocking the three‐technique. He’s a person that is going to step into this locker room and our players are going to respect the way that he plays but also who he is. I think that 30 visit was, I mean it was one of the best things that I’ve ever been a part of. We walked away like wow, that’s a grown man. I want to echo the sentiment that Scott made, I feel like we’ve added a lot of really good players and we’ve got a lot of really good players and a lot of players have grown up over the last couple of years within our systems. So this was about getting an impact player and we felt like Ikem was an impact player. I think Scott and I probably sat there this morning, went through like 50 scenarios, and not very many of them had him still being available. That’s not a discredit to him that’s just a great thing for the Carolina Panthers."
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