The Carolina Panthers have barely gotten their training camp footing, but one rookie is already drawing a spotlight for all the right reasons. Monroe Freeling, the tackle out of Georgia, was identified by Bleacher Report’s Brent Sobkeski as the Panthers rookie with the most to gain once the pads come on and the competition starts for real.
Carolina’s camp rollout began this week with rookies reporting Tuesday and the full roster set to arrive Wednesday. The first practice is Thursday, and from there the focus shifts entirely to football as the Panthers try to build on a 2025 season that brought the franchise its first NFC South title in more than 10 years.
Dave Canales’ team spent the offseason attacking needs on both sides of the ball, and the offensive line was clearly one of the priorities. The Panthers signed tackle Rasheed Walker in free agency and then added Freeling in the draft, with the expectation that the pair could become the team’s top tackles moving forward.
Freeling’s name stands out because of the kind of player he was entering the draft process and the opportunity in front of him now. Sobkeski described him as a developmental prospect whose performance and athletic profile still made him worthy of a first-round draft pick despite the limited sample size. He also noted that, even with technical refinement still needed, Freeling has a real shot to win a Week 1 starting job at left tackle, even if that is not the team’s primary plan.
The path is there for him. Freeling has the physical tools, the upside and the draft status to make a fast climb if he handles camp well. The key, as Sobkeski put it, is simple: he has a massive runway to earn the job and never look back, as long as he doesn't looked overwhelmed during training camp.
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