These pass rush drills aren’t necessarily a complete and accurate way to describe the current situation, but they are a quick barometer. As Ekwonu learned, these trainings for Burns are like weather and climate differences, temporary states that become part of a larger whole.

“For tackles, painting with a wide brush makes it harder to get reps than during the game,” Gross said.

This is the generally accepted consensus for one-on-one pass rushing drills designed to evaluate players in a vacuum. No help from security guards. No quarterbacks calling screens. You are the one who fights the man in front of you.

Kampen, who has played eight years in the league and coached offensive linemen in the NFL for nearly 20 years, does not accept that premise. He is not allowed to repost it on his family’s website.

“I don’t agree with that,” he says finally after the extent to which he disagrees is made clear. Worst case all I have to do is speed bump between the quarterbacks and he can pass me.Our defensive lineman is invisible. Hmm, they’re not rushing to the B Gap, they’re not running from here to the line.

“For me, someone will win and someone will lose. And you’d better be in the top half of it. To be honest, everyone can talk about the twists and all this pressure, but it’s the lineman Winning his one-on-one blocks when it matters most. That wins the game.

And while the scoreboards for those drills may now favor Peppers over Gross, just as they favored Peppers over Gross nearly two decades ago, they didn’t currently.

Veteran pass rushing specialist Don Johnson, a 39-year coach, agrees with Campen that his defensive lineman isn’t automatically an advantage. He also sees signs of growth from Ekwonu, which helps both players.

“Of course,” said Johnson. “Icky will learn from experienced players and a young Barnes doesn’t know how Icky steers very well, so he has to adapt to learn how to attack. It’s good for both sides. is”

The contrast in style is also evident. Barnes trades speed and technique, Ekwonu trades power. When they actually play an inside run game, we see the advantage tilt in the opposite direction. But it has been his job this preseason to improve what Akwonwoo is not yet good at.

Individuality will also emerge. Both Burns and Ekwonwoo burn hot. Gross and Peppers were inherently different from this duo, and over time the work for both became less than a routine battle and a long war.

That’s not the stage these kids are at now.

“Barnes is an aggressive guy and Icky is clearly an aggressive guy, so I don’t think it was a rep like my brother-in-law got in Pep’s eighth year and mine in seventh year,” Gross said. “Maybe a little different.”

But the lessons are the same. Heading into the season opener, the Panthers hope to learn as much as they did before.