The Carolina Panthers caught plenty of grief on draft night when they used their first-round pick on Monroe Freeling instead of Makai Lemon. At the time, the move looked like a reach. Freeling wasn’t considered NFL-ready, and with the board still offering a player like Lemon, plenty of eyes went straight to the skill position need.
That reaction has shifted fast.
Freeling has already mattered in a big way after Taylor Moton went down. Without him, the Panthers would be staring at a far uglier situation, with undrafted Albert Reese IV or Stone Forsythe forced into the kind of role that invites trouble. Instead, Freeling stepped in after being the first-round pick, and that decision suddenly looks a whole lot smarter.
The case for Lemon was easy to understand, especially for an offense that needs help and for Bryce Young in what’s being framed as a make-or-break year four. Carolina still doesn’t have the luxury of waiting around for answers at receiver or elsewhere on offense. But Lemon’s preseason did the Panthers no favors.
Makai Lemon’s 2026 preseason:1.0 yards per reception#239-of-239 players this preseasonalso:0.6 yards per target (#239)0.7 yards after catch per reception (#217)(min 5 targets) pic.twitter.com/j2i1hJwy2w
That kind of output was rough, plain and simple. The Panthers needed offensive help, but Lemon didn’t show he was ready to deliver it. He’ll probably get better, but Carolina can’t bank on “probably” when the pressure is already building.
The contrast is what makes this so interesting. If the Panthers had taken another first-round wide receiver and he stumbled early like Xavier Legette, the conversation around this draft class would look completely different. Add in the possibility of Stone Forsythe starting at right tackle after allowing the most sacks in the sport last year, and the whole picture gets a lot uglier.
Carolina’s early draft choices drew criticism for good reason. But after the preseason, the front office may have been right all along to prioritize Freeling over Lemon.
In Other News...
Panthers Backfield Concerns Just Brought Home A Familiar Name
The Panthers turned to a familiar roster-building move on Sept. 3, signing running back Ahmani Marshall to the practice squad while releasing offensive lineman Isaia Glass in a corresponding transaction. Marshall arrives with some recent NFL background, having spent time in Browns camp and on Clevelands practice squad before being cut, and Carolina is clearly looking for help in the backfield after injuries thinned out the room.
It is the kind of addition that can matter more than it looks on paper, especially this early in the season when teams are still sorting out depth and durability. Marshall now gets a chance to re-enter the conversation in Carolina, and the larger question is whether this is just a temporary patch or the first move in a more complicated backfield reset. [Read more 🡒]
Panthers Final Roster Shakeup Created One Clear Winner And Loser
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For Jermaine Wallace, the ripple effect was immediate, since the arrival of Okereke helped push him off the roster. There was a bit of encouraging news elsewhere, too, with Dave Canales saying he remains optimistic about Chuba Hubbards Week 1 availability despite the recent soreness, but the bigger takeaway is that the Panthers used cutdown day to make a couple of firm statements about who mattered most right now. [Read more 🡒]
Panthers Front Seven Rebuild Hinges On One Big Evero Decision
The Panthers spent the offseason trying to rework a front seven that has not produced enough pressure, adding edge rusher Jaelan Phillips and linebacker Devin Lloyd as part of an effort to climb out of the leagues sack basement. Carolina has finished near the bottom in sacks for three straight years, so the additions were meant to bring more disruption and give the defense a sturdier spine in front of the secondary.
The next question is how Ejiro Evero chooses to deploy it. His pass-rushing philosophy, including a reluctance to blitz, will shape whether the Panthers get the most out of the new pieces, especially with injuries to Turk Wharton and Nic Scourton already thinning the rotation. With those bodies unavailable, the pressure is on other defenders to help create heat, and Everos approach may determine whether this rebuild looks like a real fix or just another attempt to patch a recurring problem. [Read more 🡒]