Dan Morgan knew what had to be done this offseason. The Carolina Panthers are right on the cusp of something special, and he was aggressive in filling some critical holes in free agency. Fans expected the same trend to continue in the 2026 NFL Draft, and the general manager delivered once again.
And according to one NFL Draft analyst, Morgan may have hit the home run he desperately needed with Carolina's first-round selection.
In a somewhat surprising move, the Panthers picked Monroe Freeling at No. 19 overall. Morgan had the freedom to do whatever he liked with the pick, and there was clearly enough conviction to bring the Georgia product into the fold at a lower range than the front-office leader had selected in the draft previously.
Monroe Freeling tabbed as the ultimate upside pick for Carolina Panthers at No. 19
Some fans didn't like it, but they also criticized the decision to take wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan at No. 8 last year. If Freeling goes on to have anything like this sort of success in Year 1, the Panthers will be onto something.
That's for the future. For now, Marcus Mosher of FanSided believes Freeling has what it takes to make a successful transition to the pros as the ultimate upside prospect. And based on his assessment of what he can bring to the table, it's no surprise that Morgan eventually pulled the trigger.
"Freeling is the ultimate upside pick. He's got every trait you would want in a franchise left tackle, but he hasn't played a bunch and his overall game is a work-in-progress. It doesn't help that Georgia's tight splits limited the number of true pass sets on his resume, but he should go early just because of his physical traits alone."
This is a ringing endorsement. Freeling still has a lot to prove, and he is raw, but the Panthers are betting on the ceiling being reached. And looking at how things stand on Carolina's offensive line depth chart, there is a serious opening to firmly establish himself right out of the gate with Ikem Ekwonu's injury.
Morgan has earned a lot of trust since taking charge. If he believes Freeling has the tools needed to flourish over time, that should be enough for fans. And if it can hit it off within Brad Idzik's blocking concepts, that will help Carolina's hopes of going deeper into the postseason next time around.
Freeling achieved his dream, but the hard work is just getting started. This is a great landing spot on an ambitious franchise on an upward trajectory. Now, it's on him to repay the faith shown by Morgan and head coach Dave Canales.
Nothing else will do.
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