Thanks to a few new pieces, the Carolina Panthers have successfully gone to work on their reconstructed offensive line here in 2024. Heck, even a few familiar pieces have proven to be extremely handy in the process.
After spending big on starting interior linemen Damien Lewis and Robert Hunt this offseason, Brady Christensen—the starter at left guard in 2022 and 2023—was shifted into a reserve role. So it seemed as though the former third-round pick would be headed into free agency in 2025 without much argument.
But when starting center Austin Corbett sustained a season-ending triceps injury in Week 5, Christensen was thrust right into the middle—where he’s excelled.
When the Panthers drafted the former Brigham Young University standout three years ago, they anticipated him playing any one of the five offensive line spots. His reactive and functional athleticism stood out with his fluidity and flexibility, which allowed him to get into his pass sets early and work to the second level of the defense with ease.
Throughout his career in the black and blue, Christensen has seen starts at every position on trench—and every time he’s stepped onto the field, each unit rarely skipped a beat. This is an underrated aspect of having someone who can come in and play any position up front and not see consistent mistakes with the change in pass sets and blocking angles.
#Panthers C Brady Christensen vs. Commanders
1. Beat on initial rush, shows effort to wash out 94 in pass pro.
2. Good drive off the ball + pad level/leverage to drive into the dirt.
3 and 4. Second level ability, functional quickness, and work off duo block to LB. pic.twitter.com/nhZs6GFkf1
— Jared Feinberg (@JRodNFLDraft) October 23, 2024
Christensen was outstanding against the Washington Commanders in Week 7. The communication in the trenches remained steady and he showed effort in pass protection. And when he was beaten, he’d work to reset and wash pass rushers out of the play to give his quarterback time to throw.
Since becoming a pro, Christensen’s growth and development with power at the point of attack and pure play strength has been a sight to see. For an offensive line that is known for generating movement at the line of scrimmage, not much has changed with their performance since Corbett was sidelined for the rest of the campaign.
With his play up front, there is now an argument to be had about Christensen re-signing with the franchise this upcoming spring. He is one of many players on the roster in a contract year, and his presence has been felt in an offense that has flashed improvements at times.
The versatility will have to come back into play this weekend, as left tackle Ikem Ekwonu has been ruled out with an ankle issue. In his stead will be Christensen, who was a consensus All-American at the position at BYU.
He got a head-start on the blindside last week, where he played ten snaps at left tackle against the Denver Broncos. Christensen showed an explosive first step and incredible quickness to work off blocks and match speed rushers up the arc.
That brief relief appearance is an example of Christensen’s impressive athleticism and football intelligence, both of which make him one of the most flexible hog mollies in the game. In fact, how many other linemen can play any of the five spots without missing a beat?
How Christensen performs the rest of the season at center, or anywhere else, will be telling for his chances at staying in Carolina. So far, he’s made a great argument as a key, yet underrated piece on the offense.
