Ikem Ekwonu’s rise in Carolina has been fast, and it’s been built on exactly the kind of things the Panthers have always needed: homegrown roots, elite college production, and immediate stability at a premium spot.
Born and raised in Charlotte, Ekwonu grew up pulling for the Panthers before he ever put on a Carolina uniform. He played high school football at Providence Day in Charlotte, then headed to NC State, where the path to stardom took a little time.
He entered college as a three-star recruit and didn’t see the field right away, but once he did, he turned into one of the ACC’s best offensive linemen. Over three seasons, he earned All-ACC honors twice and finished as a unanimous All American in his final year.
That résumé pushed him to the sixth overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, and the Panthers brought him home.
Since arriving in the league, Ekwonu has been a very good left tackle from the start. He hasn’t been flawless, but for a young player at that position, the consistency has mattered.
Even more valuable, he became a steady presence on an offensive line that has dealt with serious injury issues. He played every snap in each of his first two seasons, then missed two weeks in the middle of the 2024 season.
The biggest question now comes from what happened in the 2025 playoffs. Ekwonu ruptured his patella tendon in the loss to the Rams, a severe injury that usually takes a long time to heal and can make it hard for players to get all the way back to form. Because it happened in the postseason, he is almost certain to miss the start of the season, and there’s no clear timeline for his return.
Carolina did draft a tackle who will compete for the left tackle job while Ekwonu is out, and there’s also the possibility that Ekwonu eventually moves to the right side to replace Taylor Moton when Moton retires.
For now, though, the injury clouds the picture. Before that setback, Ekwonu’s reliability and quality play at left tackle moved him quickly into the No. 65 spot on the list of the top 100 Panthers of all time.
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