It’s safe to say that the past year has been about a worst-case scenario for the Carolina Panthers. After trading up to draft prodigal quarterback Bryce Young out of the University of Alabama with the first pick of the 2023 NFL Draft, the organization’s prospects have nosedived rapidly. After trading for Young, the team looked completely outmatched every single game last season and ended up with the worst record in the NFL while also sending that first overall pick in the draft this year to Chicago as part of last years deal. Carolina will desperately cling for any opportunity to fix what ails this offense.
Carolina Panthers Find Offensive Line Help
It’s difficult to know where to begin for new Panthers head coach Dave Canales but it appears that the former Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator is going to put some emphasis on the offensive line. It was announced on Monday evening that offensive tackle Yosh Nijman has agreed to terms to join Carolina on their long journey back to redemption.Nijman entered the league undrafted out of Virginia Tech in 2020 and has made himself indispensable as a backup to the Green Bay Packers. Aside from his rookie season, Nijman managed to get on the field quick a bit as a backup and took advantage of every opportunity. This past season, Nijman plays 230 offensive snaps mostly at the left tackle position and was a huge contributor to the Packers late season push.
Nijman will presumably slide in as the swing tackle to back up expected starters left tackle Ikem Ekwonu and right tackle Taylor Moton. While Moton has been exception on the right side since he was drafted in the second round of the 2017 NFL Draft, Ekwonu has been somewhat of a letdown after being drafted sixth overall in the 2022 NFL Draft. Moton was graded 23rd overall (74.6) for offensive tackles according to Pro Football Focus (PFF) while Ekwonu was down at 40th (67.4). That is substantial considering that with their additional value, left tackles are generally ranked higher by PFF.
Most significantly, Ekwonu has struggled tremendously in pass protection as he was graded at a mediocre score of 62.3 compared to Nijman’s 65.8. While it is unlikely that the team gives up on Ekwonu this upcoming season, the contract with Nijman likely starts the clock on that day coming. Nijman managed to be a solid pass protector for an up-and-coming passing team with Jordan Love last season.
While it is likely that Nijman will simply play the role of swing tackle and backup both Ekwonu and Moton, his contract will tell if the team has any plans of having him push for the starting job at left tackle. While he hasn’t established himself as a bona fide starter, Nijman has demonstrated his skillset as a capable left tackle and may even have the base talent to earn a starting job.
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