CHARLOTTE, N.C (CHARLOTTE SPORTS LIVE) – The sixth pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, Ickey Ekwonu, joined CSL to chat about the upcoming Panthers season.
The 6-foot-4, 310-pound N.C. State product withholds an extraordinary combination of size, agility, and a sturdy frame that could allow for an elongated career.
“I’m telling you what — we are so happy to get you, man,” owner David Tepper said on draft night. “We are just so happy to get you.”
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The first-team All-ACC lineman recorded an incredible junior year, lifting the Wolfpack to a 9-3 season, landing atop a loaded ACC Atlantic conference.
Ekwonu elaborated on what it’s like coming back to his home to play football.
“A lot of guys had to go to completely new cities and kind of just learning the area,” Ekwonu said. “Charlotte is an area I’m already familiar with. Just one less thing I gotta check off my box. Now I get to focus a little more on football.”
Expectations are always at-large for the Panthers, and Ekwonu gave his thoughts about those expectations as a rookie on the team.
“I just want to be the best player that I can be,” he said. “The expectations they [the organization] have of me, the type of player that they want is something I want to live up to each and every day.”