Who is the One Non-QB Player the Panthers Can't Afford to Lose?

Without protection, you don't have much of a passing game.

As weird as it is to say, sometimes the best player on the roster isn't always the most valuable or the most important piece to a team's success. 

That's the situation in Carolina. I think most around the league would agree that outside linebacker Brian Burns is the most talented player on the Panthers' roster but the one guy they absolutely can't afford to lose is on the other side of the ball - left tackle Ikem Ekwonu.

"At the end of the day, it's all about keeping rookie QB Bryce Young comfortable in the pocket, especially at his unprecedented size," writes Cody Benjamin of CBS Sports. "Ekwonu was solid as a rookie left tackle, and his continued presence there isn't getting enough attention."

Typically I would try and argue the opinion of another writer to offer a different perspective. But in this case, it's hard to do so. Ekwonu is tasked with keeping the face of the franchise healthy by protecting Bryce Young's blindside. 

If Ekwonu were to go down with an injury that puts him on the shelf for an extended period of time, the Panthers would be in a world of trouble. It would begin a major shuffle of the the offensive line which could mean Brady Christensen moving out to left tackle and rookie Chandler Zavala sliding in at left guard or potentially Cade Mays, depending on the health of Austin Corbett on the other side and Zavala himself, who ended mandatory minicamp with an injured pec.

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