Panthers take Georgia OT Monroe Freeling in first round of NFL draft

Mike Kaye, The Charlotte Observer on Apr 23, 2026

Published in Football

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CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Carolina Panthers added a talented lineman to their offensive line depth chart Thursday during the first round of the 2026 NFL draft.

With the 19th overall pick, Carolina selected Georgia offensive tackle Monroe Freeling. The 6-foot-7, 315-pound offensive tackle will join a position room that already features veteran starters Taylor Moton, Rob Hunt and Damien Lewis. Freeling, 21, is the first offensive tackle selected by the Panthers in the first round since Ickey Ekwonu in 2022.

The Charleston, S.C., native just wrapped up a three-year tenure with Georgia after starting his college career. Last season at Georgia, he started 13 games at left tackle.

At the NFL scouting combine in February, Freeling ran a 4.93-second 40-yard dash. He also posted a 33.5-inch vertical jump and a 9-foot-7 broad jump.

With Freeling now on board and Ekwonu coming off patellar tendon surgery, the Panthers are likely to have the rookie compete with free-agent addition Rasheed Walker at the left tackle position. Head coach Dave Canales said last month that he wasn’t looking to use a first-round pick on depth, and Freeling will need to prove he isn’t just depth in a competition with Walker this summer.

Freeling could, in theory, serve as the Panthers’ left tackle or primary backup (swing) tackle as a rookie. He could also be a long-term replacement for Ekwonu, who is a free agent next year, or Moton, who has a contract that expires in 2027.