Dan Morgan’s former boss with the Seattle Seahawks general manager John Schneider has famously said that guards get overdrafted and overpaid. It seems that’s one point that the Carolina Panthers GM disagrees with Schneider on, because nobody made a bigger investment at guard last season – or several seasons – around the NFL than Morgan – and it’s paying off.
Right guard Robert Hunt has gotten most of the acclaim, earning his first career trip to the Pro Bowl and a five-year, $100 million total contract from the Panthers. Left guard Damien Lewis has been almost as good since leaving Seattle for Carolina on a four-year, $53 million deal. In fact, some analysts believe he’s been even better than Hunt.
According to a new ranking from Pro Football Focus, Lewis was actually the best free agent signing the team made this past year.
“One of two marquee guards signed by Carolina last offseason, Damien Lewis delivered a career-best 75.5 overall grade in his first year with the Panthers. His performance played a significant role in the team improving from 27th to 16th in pass-blocking grade this season.”
PFF’s grades may be imperfect (Hunt was definitely better overall this season), but Lewis’ solid 75.5 overall grade, with good marks in run blocking (72.0) and pass blocking (76.9) mirror the consistent if not spectacular work we saw on the field from him in 2024. That overall grade represents a new career-best mark in what was a break-through season compared to the four years he spent with the Seahawks.
Panthers offensive line coach Joe Gilbert deserves at least an honorable mention here, because Lewis and Hunt and just about every other offensive lineman who saw playing time in 2024 all performed at a prett high level from week to week, with only a few small exceptions.
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