2026 Fantasy Outlook
Freeling may begin his career in a reserve role, but this year's 19th overall pick gives Carolina valuable depth while Ikem Ekwonu recovers from injury. The 6-foot-7 rookie was a full-time starter just one season at Georgia, though his long-term upside is considerable. Read Past Outlooks
Signed a four-year, $20.93 million contract with the Panthers in May of 2026.
Beginning career at RT
Freeling will start the 2026 regular season at right tackle, Steve Reed of the Associated Press reports.
ANALYSIS
Freeling played left tackle primarily at Georgia before the Panthers selected him 19th overall in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft, but he will switch to the opposite end of the offensive line to begin his NFL career. The 6-foot-7, 315 pound athlete certainly has the size to hold his own in the league, and he will get a shot to fill in for Taylor Moton (illness) at right tackle while Moton recovers from a blood clot. With Ikem Ekwonu (knee) still recovering from offseason surgery to repair a ruptured patellar tendon in his right knee, Carolina is expected to be without both of their starting offensive tackles to begin 2026.
Freeling played left tackle primarily at Georgia before the Panthers selected him 19th overall in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft, but he will switch to the opposite end of the offensive line to begin his NFL career. The 6-foot-7, 315 pound athlete certainly has the size to hold his own in the league, and he will get a shot to fill in for Taylor Moton (illness) at right tackle while Moton recovers from a blood clot. With Ikem Ekwonu (knee) still recovering from offseason surgery to repair a ruptured patellar tendon in his right knee, Carolina is expected to be without both of their starting offensive tackles to begin 2026.
NFL Stats
Loading NFL Stats...
Snap Distribution / Depth Chart
Snap Counts
Snap %
Panthers 2026 OT Snap DistributionLoading Weekly Snap Counts...
Measurables Review
View College Player Page
How do Monroe Freeling's measurables compare to other tackles?
This section compares his draft workout metrics with players at the same position. The bar represents the player's percentile rank. For example, if the bar is halfway across, then the player falls into the 50th percentile for that metric and it would be considered average.
Height
6' 7"Weight
315 lbs40-Yard Dash
4.93 secVertical Jump
33.5 inBroad Jump
115 inBench Press
0 repsHand Length
10.75 inArm Length
34.75 in
More Fantasy News
Picked by Panthers
The Panthers selected Freeling in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft, 19th overall.
ANALYSIS
Subscribe now to instantly reveal our take on this news.
Subscribe now to instantly reveal our take on this news.
Latest Fantasy Rumors
Projected as first-round pick
Mel Kiper of ESPN.com projects Freeling to be selected by the Lions with the No. 17 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
ANALYSIS
Longtime starter Taylor Decker is not expected to return to Detroit in 2026 after his release in March, and the Lions' offensive line was already a concern coming into the offseason after allowing 39.0 sacks in 2025, the most in the past three seasons. That naturally makes the unit an area of significant need. Freeling only gave up 2.0 sacks in 13 starts at Georgia during the 2025 season and allowed only nine pressures over his 18-game college starting tenure overall. Additionally, the second-team All-SEC lineman has prototypical size for a NFL lineman with his 6-foot-7, 315 pound frame, adding to his appeal.
Longtime starter Taylor Decker is not expected to return to Detroit in 2026 after his release in March, and the Lions' offensive line was already a concern coming into the offseason after allowing 39.0 sacks in 2025, the most in the past three seasons. That naturally makes the unit an area of significant need. Freeling only gave up 2.0 sacks in 13 starts at Georgia during the 2025 season and allowed only nine pressures over his 18-game college starting tenure overall. Additionally, the second-team All-SEC lineman has prototypical size for a NFL lineman with his 6-foot-7, 315 pound frame, adding to his appeal.