The Carolina Panthers took a much-needed step in the right direction this past season, as they emerged as NFC South champions, and put up an incredibly admirable fight in the Wild Card Round against the Los Angeles Rams. The team needed to continue to add talent to help them maintain their status as the favorites to continue winning the division. Perhaps most importantly, to ensure quarterback Bryce Young has all the help he needs to continue to develop into the team's long-term starter.
Even though the offensive line is pretty strong for Carolina, general manager Dan Morgan and head coach Dave Canales decided to continue investing in it.
With the 19th overall selection, the Panthers drafted Georgia offensive tackle Monroe Freeling. With this pick, the Panthers let it be known they investing in the future of the offensive line.
The best Freeling@budlight | #NFLDRAFT pic.twitter.com/oi9eDrZChi
— Carolina Panthers (@Panthers) April 24, 2026
Panthers bolser o-line depth by drafting Georgia OT Monroe Freeling
Freeling is a tackle, and the Panthers are pretty much set at this point.
Ikem Ekwonu is going to miss an unspecified amount of time after suffering a ruptured patellar tendon in Carolina's Wild Card matchup against the Rams. When he does return, he'll continue to man left tackle. The Panthers needed to find a replacement for the 2026 season, and they found one in former Green Bay Packers offensive tackle Rasheed Walker, who signed a one-year, $4 million contract.
As for right tackle, Taylor Moton has the starter's role locked in right now. But Moton is 31-years-old, and is set to enter the first year of his two-year, $44 million contract extension. It makes sense for the Panthers in selecting Freeling, as he could very well be his eventual successor at right tackle.
Freeling stands at 6-foot-7 and weighs 315 pounds. He may not as big of a name as Miami's Francis Mauigoa or Utah's Spencer Fano, who are going to start immediately for the New York Giants and Cleveland Browns, respectively. But Freeling does have upside. In this current situation in Carolina, Freeling has the chance to take his time to develop as a starter instead of being thrown to the proverbial wolves.
Freeling played left tackle this past season with the Bulldogs, but he did evenly split time at right tackle during the 2023 and 2024 seasons.
The Panthers are overall set at the offensive tackle positions before the Freeling selection. But with Walker and Moton potentially on the way out within the next two years, this allows Freeling to step in as, potentially, Carolina's starting right tackle for the foreseeable future.
Add us as a preferred source on Google