The 2026 NFL draft wrapped up on Saturday after three days in Pittsburgh.
With their first pick, the Carolina Panthers selected offensive tackle Monroe Freeling with the pick No. 19 overall pick.
Here’s a look at the Panthers’ selections and what you need to know about them:
Round 1, No. 19 overall: Monroe Freeling, OT, Georgia
My take: The Panthers’ offensive line had issues in 2025, ranking 23rd in pass block win rate, 28th in run block win rate, and 29th in pressure rate allowed. That made offensive line one of the Panthers’ biggest need. Freeling, 21, isn’t the most experienced player — 18 starts — but he was a second-team All-SEC selection and gave up only seven pressures at left tackle last season. Freeling (6-foot-7, 315 pounds) tested as one of the most physically gifted offensive linemen at the combine and has the prototypical size of an offensive tackle.
Key stat: Freeling was penalized only three times in 1,579 offensive snaps at Georgia: two were holds and one was a false start. That’s the fewest penalties of any SEC offensive lineman with at least 1,500 offensive snaps since 2023, per ESPN Research. Most of those snaps came at left tackle (1,286) over the past two seasons.
When will he be expected to get regular playing time?: The Panthers signed Rasheed Walker to a one-year, $10 million deal in free agency, but Ikem Ekwonu suffered a torn patella tendon in the wild-card playoff loss to the Los Angeles Rams and is expected to miss the entire offseason and that’s an injury that can take 6-12 months to recover from. So there is a good chance that Freeling can get on the field a lot as a rookie.
Round 2, No. 49: Lee Hunter, NT, Texas Tech
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Lee Hunter’s NFL draft profile
Check out some of the top highlights from Texas Tech’s Lee Hunter.
My take: A second-team All-American for the Red Raiders, Hunter offers the Panthers a big body to help with their run-stopping woes. Carolina was 25th in the NFL in rush defense EPA last season and Hunter specializes in that area. His 33.5 tackles for loss were the most in FBS among defensive tackles since 2023 as the Red Raiders had the best run defense in the nation, yielding only 2.2 yards per rush.
Will he start?: Hunter, the first Texas Tech player ever to be drafted by the Panthers, could have a chance to push for the starting nose tackle job right away. Bobby Brown III saw his snap count dwindle in the middle of last season before injuries granted him a larger role. He has two years remaining on the three-year deal he signed in 2025, but his guarantees end after the 2026 season, which should clear a path for Hunter to contribute quickly.
My take: At 6-foot-4, 198 pounds with a 40-yard dash time of 4.37 seconds, Brazzell gives the Panthers a tall, speedy wideout to complement 2026 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Tetairoa McMillan, Jalen Coker, John Metchie III and Xavier Legette. Brazzell was a third-team All-American in 2025 for the Volunteers, leading the SEC with 84.8 receiving yards per game and scoring nine touchdowns. With McMillan emerging as the top option and Coker finishing last season on a positive note, there’s a path for Brazzell to contribute right away if he can quickly adjust to larger doses of press man coverage.
More change coming at receiver?: Brazzell’s arrival doesn’t necessarily mean more changes are on the way for Carolina’s receiver corps, but 2024 first-rounder Legette has yet to produce as expected and there has been outside speculation about his future in Charlotte. It’s fair to wonder if the Panthers might see what they could get for him if they believe Brazzell can play right away or if he shows glimpses of being ready during OTAs.
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What Chris Brazzell II brings to the Panthers
What Chris Brazzell II brings to the Panthers
Round 4, No. 129: Will Lee III, CB, Texas A&M
My take: With Mike Jackson entering the final season of his contract at age 29, finding a cornerback who could eventually step in opposite Jaycee Horn seemed like a possibility for the Panthers. Lee is a long corner at 6-foot-1 and 189 pounds with arms measuring almost 33 inches. Like Jackson — whom the Seahawks traded to Carolina in part because of questions about his top-end speed — Lee is not a burner. He ran the 40 in 4.52 seconds at the combine, and scouting reports mention that he struggles at times to keep up with faster receivers. His 42-inch vertical and 11-foot broad jump were both tied for second best among corners at the combine. The Panthers picked Lee after trading back with Jacksonville and then with Chicago.
Round 5, No. 144: Sam Hecht, C, Kansas State
My take: The Panthers signed Luke Fortner in free agency, and while he’s made 44 starts over four seasons, his one-year, $2.75 million contract indicates that he may not be the immediate or long-term answer at the position. Hecht gives them another option.
At just over 6-4 and 303 pounds, Hecht is known more for his athleticism and technique than power. He started the Jayhawks’ last 25 games at center and did not commit an accepted penalty in 759 offensive snaps last year.
Round 5, No. 151: Zakee Wheatley, S, Penn State
My take: The Panthers spent big money in free agency to strengthen the first two levels of their defense, committing a combined $105 million in guarantees to edge rusher Jaelen Phillips and linebacker Devin Lloyd. But the secondary needed some help as well. General manager Dan Morgan is getting that on Day 3, following up his fourth-round selection of cornerback Will Lee III with Wheatley one round later.
As with Lee, Wheatley is a long defender at 6-3 and 203 pounds. He did not have standout ball production in college, with four interceptions and five passes defensed in two seasons as a starter. But the Panthers moved up seven spots in a trade with Miami (which meant moving back 27 spots in the seventh round) to get him. That would seem to signify a conviction that he can push incumbent starter Nick Scott right away.
Round 7, No. 227: Jackson Kuwatch, LB, Miami (Ohio)
My take: This is the part of the draft to take fliers, and the Panthers are taking one on Kuwatch. The Ohio State transfer had 14 career tackles as a reserve before breaking out in 2025 with 109 tackles, 10 tackles for loss and five sacks in 14 starts. He reportedly ran a 4.64-second 40-yard dash at his pro day, a solid time at 6-foot-4 and 235 pounds. Kuwatch will have a chance to join Claudin Cherelus and Bam Martin-Scott as depth options behind Lloyd and Trevin Wallace.
