Panthers sign first-round OT Monroe Freeling

The Panthers reportedly entered the first round with a “tackle or bust” mentality, and they landed one of the draft’s top positional prospects in Freeling. The Georgia product exclusively played left tackle during his collegiate career, including a 2025 campaign where he earned second-team All-SEC honors. Freeling possesses the length and athleticism that teams seek from their LTs, although scouts did note that he needs to add some weight to compete in the NFL.

The Freeling selection could also lead to some interesting roster decisions for the franchise. The team is returning longtime RT Taylor Moton and is still rostering LT Ikem Ekwonu on a fifth-year option. Ekwonu is set to miss the beginning of the 2026 season, but the team seemingly filled that temporary hole by signing Rasheed Walker to a one-year deal worth just $4MM. Depth is never a bad thing, but it will be interesting to see how the OL ultimately shakes out, and the team’s surplus of OTs could potentially lead to some moves.

The team’s other signings today included:

• Round 3, No. 83: Chris Brazzell II (WR, Tennessee)
• Round 4, No. 129 (from Bears): Will Lee III (CB, Texas A&M)
• Round 5, No. 144 (from Titans via Panthers): Sam Hecht (C, Kansas State)
• Round 5, No. 151 (from Dolphins): Zakee Wheatley (S, Penn State)
• Round 7, No. 227 (from Dolphins): Jackson Kuwatch (LB, Miami (OH))

This leaves the Panthers with only one unsigned draft pick: second-round DT Lee Hunter. While it’s notable that the Texas Tech product wasn’t included among the team’s other signings, there’s a chance he quickly inks his deal to be in attendance for tomorrow’s minicamp.