Former Panthers first-round pick using worst season of his career as ultimate motivation
The former No. 6 overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft uses his second year of disappointment as motivation moving forward.
The 2023 season was the worst of offensive tackle Ikem Ekwonu's season.
He was routinely blown by on the offensive line. Whether it was the change in the scheme, the new coaching staff, or a collection of it all, Ekwonu looked like a far cry from the player he was during his 2022 rookie season.
Ekwonu knows 2023 wasn't his best year. Looking back on it during the Carolina Panthers' OTAs, he wants to use last year's failures as his ultimate motivation in 2024.
"I don't want to speak on last year too much if I'm being honest, but obviously a very humbling experience," Ekwonu said, via the team's official website. "When you're looking at the entire body of work that was last year, there were things that came up time and time again that I didn't fix as the season went on, so it's definitely a big priority for me."
Ekwonu was solid in the run-blocking game. He helped Chuba Hubbard have a career season. Where things broke down for the 23-year-old was in the pass-blocking scheme.
He allowed 11 sacks – second-most among all tackles with at least 600 snaps – nine quarterback hits and 24 hurries last season, according to Pro Football Focus.
That has to change if the Panthers offense is going to thrive in 2024.
"It was a tough year last year, struggling in a lot of aspects and sometimes it's hard not to get down on yourself, but having some of these guys in your corner to always lift you up, to show you that's not necessarily who you are – you might make a mistake," he said. "You might play bad, but it doesn't mean you're a bad player."
Ekwonu is far from a bad player, but he has to be better for the 2024 Panthers to take the necessary step forward.
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