The left tackle position has suddenly become a pressing need for the Carolina Panthers.
When 2022 first-round pick Ikem Ekownu went down clutching his right knee on the second drive of Carolina's playoff loss to the Los Angeles Rams, concern was great. The former North Carolina State mauler was carted off the field and was quickly ruled out for the remainder of the contest, which is never usually a good sign.
Dave Canales called the injury significant post-game. He later confirmed Ekownu had suffered a ruptured patella tendon, which has thrown a huge spanner into Carolina's offseason plans. The player had put together his most consistent season and was in line for an extension.
This is a significant injury, especially for someone of Ekwonu’s size. An adequate replacement must be found quickly. The Panthers have yet to draft an offensive lineman under general manager Dan Morgan, but that is now a distinct possibility under these circumstances.
Carolina Panthers need to think quickly after crushing Ikem Ekwonu injury blow
The expectation is that Carolina will extend Yosh Nijman, who has spent the last two seasons as the Panthers' swing tackle and performed admirably when both Ekwonu and Taylor Moton have dealt with injuries.
The Panthers could also bring back another familiar face to protect Bryce Young’s blindside.
Flashback to 2021, when Carolina signed Cam Erving in free agency. It did little to alleviate fans' worries.
With the No. 70 overall pick that year, the Panthers selected BYU offensive lineman Brady Christensen, a consensus All-American who was a key reason for Zach Wilson's exceptional play en route to becoming the No. 2 selection.
Despite his impressive college credentials, Matt Rhule refused to deploy Christensen on the edge due to concerns about his arm length. Since then, he has been installed at every position across the offensive line, with his versatility his greatest strength.
It was a surprise that the player wasn’t snapped up in free agency and returned to Carolina on a cheap one-year deal.
Christensen is once again a free agent but is now hampered by a season-ending Achilles injury suffered in Week 8. This may affect his market, once again putting Carolina in a position to secure his services on a cheap deal.
Working with Panthers offensive line coach Joe Gilbert, bringing Christensen back makes sense for all parties. The player won't have many suitors. If those in power can come to a short-term arrangement, he can provide competition at left tackle as well as depth across the rest of the line.
Finding good left tackles in free agency is very rare, simply because teams don’t get rid of productive ones too often. The free agent market for the position is looking sparse. It makes sense from a cap standpoint to bring back both Christensen and Nijman and let the pair battle it out in camp.