5 most important Carolina Panthers players in Week 1 vs. Browns
By Noah Bryce
Ikem Ekwonu – Carolina Panthers OT
Getting one of the more obvious choices out of the way first here.
Ikem Ekwonu is the linchpin that this entire game will hinge on. No matter how good Baker Mayfield is, if the quarterback is laying on his back, there aren’t any passes getting completed.
The world saw just how vital pass protection is last season when it was non-existent as far as Sam Darnold is concerned. Constant pressure is not a recipe for success and if the Carolina Panthers want any hope of winning then this has to be done right in Week 1.
This may sound like an overstatement. But think about it.
Ekwonu is going up against Myles Garrett. The Cleveland Browns superstar is coming off a career year totaling 16 sacks, and that is a baptism by fire if I’ve ever seen one – something that could easily burn the team if they aren’t careful.
Add on top of this the fact that the rookie left tackle has always been more of a run-blocking specialist and has work to do from a technical perspective in pass-pro sets, getting him some assistance is vital.
The Panthers will more than likely send a running back or tight end that way more often than not. But the help is not always going to be there and the former North Carolina State standout needs to hold up in those 1-on-1 situations long enough for Mayfield to make plays.
This will be a fascinating, albeit a nerve-wracking, portion of the field to watch come Sunday. If Ekwonu doesn’t have what it takes we will know very quickly.