Where Panthers Rookie Class Stands After Final Roster Cuts

The Carolina Panthers are got roster cuts out of the way, so now full attention can be turned towards Week 1.

As far as the 53-man roster goes, every Panthers’ 2026 draft pick made the team. Third-round pick Chris Brazzell II will be the only draft pick not on the active roster, as he’s out for the season. The Panthers also saw three undrafted free agents earn roster spots.

Today, let’s go ahead and see where every rookie on the team stands for the 2026 season.

OL Monroe Freeling– Starter

The Panthers’ first-round selection, Freeling is obviously important. Originally, the team thought he would be just a swing tackle in 2026, but due to injuries, he’s going to be the starting right tackle.

We saw some good things from Freeling in the preseason and the team feels comfortable with him starting for now. It will be interesting to see how he holds up in the regular season and if he can secure a starting spot for the long haul.

DL Lee Hunter- Rotation

Coming out of Texas Tech, Lee Hunter looked like a beast when he first arrived this summer. Unfortunately, the massive defensive tackle struggled at times and wasn’t able to stand out in the preseason.

As a second-round rookie with a very high ceiling, Hunter’s roster spot was never in doubt. However, he could’ve been a starter if he performed better, and now it seems like he’ll start out as a backup.

CB Will Lee III- Rotation

Will Lee III is another rookie who impressed immediately upon arriving. Lee has the length to hold his own on the boundary, and he’s got NFL speed. In fact, Lee impressed so much this summer that the team experimented with him in the starting lineup.

The hype cooled off a bit after Lee failed to carry that over to the preseason, but he was always making the team. He should see plenty of opportunities as a rookie.

C Sam Hecht- Backup

Sam Hecht spent most of summer battling veteran Luke Fortner for the starting center job. Fortner eventually pulled away, but Hecht was still impressive for a fifth-round rookie.

Hecht ended up being one of the better interior offensive linemen of the preseason. He’s another one who essentially was in no danger of missing the cut, but he may not get many opportunities right away.

S Zakee Wheatley- Backup

The Panthers’ secondary isn’t the deepest, so it seemed like Wheatley had a nice chance to start. Veteran Nick Scott held onto the job, though, meaning Wheatley is headed for special teams duty most likely.

I do think Wheatley showed some stuff this summer, and I won’t rule out him becoming a starter one day.

LB Jackson Kuwatch- Core Special Teamer

Jackson Kuwatch had a solid summer. The linebacker actually had some nice plays on defense, and he showed that he’s a sure tackle and solid run defender.

Barring injury, Kuwatch shouldn’t see the field much on defense. He’ll likely be active on gameday, though, due to his efforts on special teams.

QB Haynes King- QB3

Haynes King only played in one preseason contest, but he did enough to earn a roster spot anyway. It’s even more impressive considering Dave Canales prefers to keep just two passers.

Bryce Young hasn’t missed much time in the NFL, so King likely won’t get many chances to shine as a rookie. However, the team didn’t want to risk exposing him to waivers.

OL Albert Reese- Depth

Albert Reese is another one of the three undrafted free agents to make the initial roster. Reese was able to take advantage of a lack of depth on the offensive line this summer.

Reese is a good story, but he’s probably the first to go when Taylor Moton or Ikem Ekwonu come back.

DL Aaron Hall- Depth

Aaron Hall is the final UDFA to make the team. The Duke product impressed all summer and seemingly locked up a spot weeks ago. The Panthers’ line isn’t deep, but the best bet right now is that Hall is a gameday inactive to start his career.