The Carolina Panthers have selected Georgia Bulldogs offensive tackle Monroe Freeling with the No. 19 pick in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft. While in college, he primarily lined up at right tackle.
Freeling spent three seasons in college with the Bulldogs. During that time, he would see action in 35 games, including 17 in which he started. There are players with more experience, but there is also a lot of upside that the Panthers are banking on there. That’s upside he showed off in 2025, being named a Second-Team All-SEC selection.
Perhaps more importantly, the Panthers now have another tackle to protect Bryce Young. This is seen as a major season for the former first overall pick, and he’ll now have another key lineman in place to keep him upright.
What Scouts Were Saying About Carolina Panthers Pick Monroe Freeling Before the NFL Draft
The Carolina Panthers took Monroe Freeling in the midst of a run on offensive tackles in the first round of the NFL Draft. That actually made him the fifth tackle and sixth offensive lineman to come off the board by the 19th pick.
That spot looks to be very good value for Freeling. On his Big Board ahead of the NFL Draft, Mel Kiper Jr. ranked Freeling as the third-best offensive tackle. On top of that, Kiper had him ranked as the 13th-best player overall.
“Freeling is still developing — he started 18 games in college, and only five of those came before last season,” Kiper wrote. “But his year-over-year improvement stood out, especially in pass protection. He’s quick out of his stance (4.93 in the 40-yard dash), shows good hand placement and is alert when dealing with stunts. With long 34¾-inch arms, Freeling does a nice job taking away the inside move of edge rushers, too. He needs to work on his run blocking, though.”
At the NFL Draft, Freeling measured in at 6’7 3/8″ and 315 lbs. He would also run a 4.93-second 40-yard dash. At the time, NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein added his own scouting report as well.
“Freeling offers coveted length and athleticism at right tackle,” Zierlein wrote. “With only one season as a full-time starter, filling out his frame and improving his technique should be early priorities. His quickness brings first-phase positioning advantages, but he needs more play strength to carry that over to block sustain and finish. Lunging and deadening feet post-punch must be coached out of his muscle memory in pass protection so his athleticism and length can do their jobs. Independent hand usage and a reliable “snatch and trap” could instantly bolster his success rate. There is some buyer beware on tape, but if smoothed out, he has the ceiling of a quality NFL starter.”
The Carolina Panthers Want to Build on 2025’s Success
2026 is going to be the third season for the Carolina Panthers under head coach Dave Canales. It’s also going to be a season with high expectations, after the Panthers won the NFC South and went to the playoffs a year ago. It was their first division win since 2015 and their first trip to the playoffs since 2017.
Of course, that division win came in a weird season for the NFC South. The Panthers, at 8-9, still had a losing record. So, finding a way to improve to a winning record for the first time since that 2017 playoff appearance is also going to be very important.
A key to that continued improvement is going to be the continued development of quarterback Bryce Young. 2026 is widely regarded as a massive year for the former first overall pick. With plenty of time now in Canales’ offense and an improving group of weapons around him, the time to live up to his potential is now.
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