Perhaps it's too far to call it a "necessary evil," but the Carolina Panthers' selection of offensive tackle Monroe Freeling in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft wasn't exactly the sexiest choice.
Despite the pre-draft buzz that built up for names such as wide receiver KC Concepcion, tight end Kenyon Sadiq and safety Dillon Thieneman, the Panthers opted to (wisely) invest in their trenches—taking the University of Georgia standout at the 19th overall pick. So on Saturday, as Cleveland Browns fans watched Concepcion speed his way into the end zone and Chicago Bears fans watched Thieneman fly around their defense, the Carolina faithful may have had a little less fun trying to see how their first-rounder fared in his preseason debut.
To perhaps gain some sort of clarity on Freeling's performance, we turn to Pro Football Focus and their film-based analysis. And according to their evaluation of his 10-snap appearance as the starting right tackle, the young hog molly has room to improve.
The sample-sized outing yielded an overall offensive grade of 53.1, which ranks 33rd out of the 39 players on the unit. When cut down to Panthers who recorded at least 10 offensive snaps in the 29-14 loss to the Buffalo Bills, he ranks 28th out of 34.
When it comes to pass blocking, Freeling earned a 39.4—the fourth-lowest on the team. He was charged with two pressures (two hurries) on six opportunities.
Freeling wasn't too much better through the ground. As a run blocker, he graded out at a 57.7—accounting for Carolina's third-lowest such mark.
Yeah, not great.
But in the grand scheme of things, Freeling is a 22-year-old rookie who's adjusting to the other side of the line. He was primarily a left tackle at Georgia, as just one of his 747 offensive snaps in 2025 came from right tackle.
Oh, and he was out there on Saturday for a whole 10 plays!
And, of course, PFF is not the be-all, end-all of analysis. So maybe this, from a former Panthers offensive lineman, puts Freeling's day into better perspective . . .
Took a look at Monroe Freeling. Not a ton of reps and not much to really see. However he got some good reps against a bull rush. Got to anchor better but now he's felt what a game bull rush feels like.
— Geoff Schwartz (@geoffschwartz) August 16, 2026
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This article originally appeared on Panthers Wire: What do the PFF grades say about Panthers OT Monroe Freeling's preseason debut?