Rasheed Walker, the Panthers' starting left tackle, told reporters Thursday that the gun charge from his January arrest at LaGuardia Airport is getting dismissed. Good news for Walker, obviously. It's a weight off his shoulders heading into a season where he's supposed to be protecting Bryce Young's blind side. Remember, the initial arrest happened January 15th, just a week after the Panthers wrapped up their abysmal 2-15 season. Walker was charged with possession of a firearm after TSA screeners found a handgun in his carry-on bag. He claimed he forgot it was there. Whether you buy that or not, the legal hurdle seems cleared.
Thing is, even with the legal issues fading, Walker's performance on the field last year wasn't exactly bulletproof. Pro Football Focus graded him at a 57.6 overall, with a particularly concerning 49.3 pass-blocking grade. That's not what you want from your left tackle, especially when you've got a franchise quarterback like Young, who was sacked 62 times in 2023 – the most in the NFL. Some of those sacks were on Young holding the ball too long, sure, but a significant portion falls squarely on the offensive line. Walker allowed eight sacks and 43 pressures in 17 starts. Those numbers are ugly, plain and simple.
The Panthers invested heavily in the offensive line in recent years, signing Austin Corbett to a three-year, $29.25 million deal in 2022 and then Ickey Ekwonu with the sixth overall pick that same year. They even brought in Robert Hunt this offseason with a five-year, $100 million contract, making him one of the highest-paid guards in the league. Yet, the protection for Young has been porous. Walker, a former sixth-round pick in 2022, stepped into the starting role after Brady Christensen went down with a biceps injury in Week 1. He held the job all year, but consistency was a real problem. The team needs him to take a monumental leap in his third season.
Here's the thing: Young needs time. He showed flashes of brilliance last season, like his 312-yard, two-touchdown performance against the Packers in Week 16. But those moments were too few and far between, often because he was running for his life. The Panthers' offense averaged a league-worst 13.9 points per game. That's not all on the line, but it’s a massive piece of the puzzle. New head coach Dave Canales is tasked with fixing this mess, and a reliable left tackle is foundational to any improvement.
My controversial take? Walker getting the starting nod again at left tackle is a massive gamble, and I don't think it pays off. The Panthers should have been more aggressive in finding an upgrade, even if it meant using a higher draft pick than they did on someone like Ikem Ekwonu. They can't afford another year of Young getting pulverized. If Walker struggles early, the team needs a contingency plan that isn't just shuffling guards around.
Bold prediction: The Panthers' offensive line, despite the big free-agent money thrown around, will still be a bottom-tier unit in pass protection, and Walker will be benched by Week 8 if his performance doesn't drastically improve.