The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1506671
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2023 ■ 39 2023 NFL PREVIEW "Given an entire offseason to refine and polish his technique under the watchful eye of offensive line guru James Campen, the 6-4, 320-pounder could vie for individual honors with a leap from good to great in Year 2." Dalton Wasserman of Pro Football Focus concurred with Brooks' senti- ments. "Ekwonu had a decent rookie season, playing every snap at left tackle and grading out at 65.3 over- all," Wasserman noted, referring to PFF's grading system, in which a score of about 64.0 is considered av- erage. "He had a couple of rough games in protection, but also showed flashes of his massive talent, posting an 80.0-plus pass-blocking grade in four games. "He was also occasionally dominant as a run blocker, demonstrated in part by his 96.1 run-blocking grade against San Francisco. Ekwonu could be one of the breakout stars in the NFL." Couple Ekwonu's flashes of greatness as a rookie with Carolina's decision to aggressively trade up to the first over- all pick this year and select quarterback Bryce Young from Alabama, and Ekwonu will be under a much larger microscope in 2023. It's one thing for Ekwonu to justify an NFL franchise's hope that he de- velop into a cornerstone left tackle. It's another to fulfill that role while simul- taneously being tasked with protect- ing the blind side of the most prized investment in football — a first-round, No. 1 overall selection quarterback pick. Thus, when Ekwonu struggled in pass protection in preseason games during August, new Carolina head coach Frank Reich was pressed about his second- year tackle's performance. By Ekwonu's own admission, pre- venting hits on the quarterback is a needed area of improvement, es- pecially when protecting Young, the player the Panthers are hoping will be the face of the franchise for the next decade. However, Ekwonu said he does not feel any added pressure. "I wouldn't say [there's] extra stress," he explained after a preseason loss to the Giants in which he allowed a sack. "That's one of the main parts of the job as an offensive lineman, whether he's a rookie coming in or a 15-year guy." Fortunately for Ekwonu, Reich pro- fessed total confidence in his starting left tackle. "I have no concerns about him play- ing winning football and being one of the true anchors to our offensive line," Reich noted. "The year he had last year and the training camp that he's had — I think not only is he going to be a really good player for us, I think he's going to be a good leader. "We have had a couple miscues he's been involved in, but those things will get worked out." Pack Pros In 2023 How are your favorite Pack Pros doing in NFL training camps? Here is a run- down of all the former NC State football players trying to make a roster spot in the league: DB Tyler Baker-Williams (Played at NC State from 2018-22), Los An- geles Chargers: Alex Katson of USA Today's Chargers Wire listed the un- drafted free agent as one of five "under- the-radar" players to watch going into training camp, but The Athletic's 53- man roster projection did not include Baker-Williams on the team. C Garrett Bradbury (2015-18), Minnesota Vikings: A season ago, Bradbury entered a crucial contract year after the Vikings declined the for- mer first-round pick's fifth-year op- tion, but after showing improved pass protection, he was rewarded with a three-year, $15.5 million contract ex- tension … Offensive line coach Chris Kuper described himself as "elated" at A two-time Pro Bowl linebacker, Bradley Chubb goes into his first full season in Miami having signed a five-year, $110 million extension with the team. PHOTO COURTESY MIAMI DOLPHINS