The Carolina Panthers, despite the last-minute comeback from the offense, were unable to pull off the victory on Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals in week two.

Quarterback Bryce Young struggled in his first two drives of the contest, as he had two-straight turnovers with a fumble and an interception. Luckily for the offense, he was able to settle in and managed to throw for 328 passing yards and three touchdowns to end his week two performance.

However, there was one issue that causes problems on offense. The offensive line unit was unable to contain the Cardinals' pass rush, especially the team's starting left tackle Ikem Ekwonu.

The former 2022 first-round pick made his season debut on Sunday after missing week one, and it was clear that Ekwonu still needed some time to get back into the rhythm for this season. In his first game back, he gave up a total of eight pressures, six quarterback hurries and two quarterback hits in the week two matchup, according to PFF. 

This has been a reoccurring issue for Ekwonu since entering the league, as his pass blocking abilities were a question mark coming out of college. NFL draft analyst Lance Zierlein made this point in his scouting report of Ekwonu when coming out of college, stating that his pass protection has seen rough patches.

"The pass protection has seen rough patches over the last two years and that might continue until his hands and feet start working in unison," Zierlein wrote. "Punch timing and independent hands should bring immediate improvement, but getting him to play with better focus and control in his pass sets will take time." 

Ekwonu has been excellent in the run game throughout his time with the Panthers, but his pass blocking has yet to take the next step. The former North Carolina State standout has given up a total of 118 pressures and 24 sacks over the course of 1,940 pass plays. With Ekwonu not showing signs of taking the next step in his career, Young has not received the proper protection up front to allow for him to elevate the offense.

If Ekwonu wants to solidify himself as the team's starting left tackle of the future, he must quickly change his current play in the passing game. Carolina is projected to land a top-10 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, which means they are in the running for two of the best tackles in the class with Miami's Francis Mauigoa and Utah's Spencer Fano.

Selecting an offensive tackle in round one would ultimately force Ekwonu to eventually lose his starting position, unless general manager Dan Morgan decides to cut ties with one of the team's current guards and move him inside. The Panthers picked up Ekwonu's fifth-year option this offseason, which keeps him under contract for the 2026 season. But in order to truly fix the offensive line for the future, Ekwonu must continue to make strides in his pass protection.