3 winners and 3 losers from the Carolina Panthers 2022 NFL Draft
By Jason Huber
Brady Christensen – Carolina Panthers OL
After not signing a left tackle in free agency and bolstering their offensive line in other ways this offseason, Brady Christensen found himself at the top of the depth chart at left tackle.
When the Carolina Panthers’ offensive line struggled last season, there were a lot of questions about why Matt Rhule didn’t play Christensen more than he was.
Once Christensen finally began to receive worthy playing time, the BYU product was actually pretty solid and looked like he could have a good future in this league.
However, with James Campen and Rhule not being sold on “short arms“, it seems like Carolina’s brass didn’t feel confident enough to let Christensen enter the season as the starting blindside protector.
With every tackle on the board at pick No. 6, there’s no reason that the Panthers shouldn’t have taken Ikem Ekwonu or another lineman. But it definitely makes playing time more difficult for Christensen.
It’s possible that Christensen gets some playing time at left guard but the current depth chart has Pat Elflein at the spot.
Elflein wasn’t very good last year, meaning Christensen might have a shot. Either way, Ekwonu will 100 percent be Carolina’s starting left tackle, making the former third-round pick more of a depth piece this year.