Ikem Ekwonu drafted by the Carolina Panthers
The question was a matter of when would NC State football star left tackle Ikem Ekwonu would hear his name called in the NFL Draft.
The answer came in the first hour with the sixth overall pick in the first round, and the Carolina Panthers on the clock.
Ekwonu is headed to his hometown to play in college, and in the process becomes the first ever NC State football player taken by the in-state pro team in the NFL Draft.
Most mock draft projections entering Thursday’s festivities in Las Vegas had Ekwonu going with one of the top five overall picks. The draft started with edge players Travon Walker from Georgia and Aidan Hutchinson from Michigan going 1-2 to the Jacksonville Jaguars and Detroit Lions, respectively.
Then came corners Derek Stingley Jr. of LSU and Ahmad Gardner of Cincinnati to the Houston Texans and New York Jets with picks three and four.
The New York Giants surprised by taking Oregon defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux with the fifth pick.
That allowed Ekwonu to stay home to begin his NFL career.
“This is a dream come true. Growing up being a Carolina Panthers fan, this is crazy,” Ekwonu said on the NFL Network.
Ikem Ekwonu Goes To NFL After Big Season
Ekwonu became just the third unanimous consensus first-team All-American at NC State, joining former center Jim Ritcher in 1979 and defensive end Bradley Chubb in 2017. Ritcher’s No. 51 is retired from NC State football, and he was an inaugural member of the school’s Hall of Fame.
Chubb’s No. 9 is also permanently honored, and he is currently a star in the NFL with the Denver Broncos.
Ekwonu was also one of three finalists for the Outland Trophy, an honor given to the nation’s top lineman. He was also the recipient of the ACC’s Jacobs Blocking Trophy, the first winner from NC State football since Ritcher in 1979.
Ekwonu finished the regular season with 67 pancake blocks and 18 knockdowns, and was a two-time ACC Offensive Lineman of the Week. The 6-foot-4, 320-pounder allowed just two sacks in 829 snaps. Pro Football Focus (PFF) ranks Ekwonu as the top run blocker in college football.
After the season, Ekwonu chose to turn pro following what was his third-year sophomore season. The Charlotte native played his high school football at Providence Day.
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