2026 NFL Draft Grades: Carolina Panthers

Carolina had to do some recalibrating this year. Their draft slot has been of the top 10 variety every year since 2019 (though their original No. 1 pick in 2024 belonged to Chicago, and Carolina traded back into Round 1 that year at No. 32). After a surprising run to the NFC South title and a little bit of a Bryce Young breakout, the Panthers might be on the upward trend.

The team's first two picks were good prospects and in line value-wise, but I didn't consider either position as a big need. Carolina added Monroe Freeling to a pretty good group of tackles in Ikem Ekwonu, Taylor Moton and Rasheed Walker. Freeling hasn't quite developed his run blocking yet (he has only 18 career starts and is 21 years old), but he's really good in pass protection. I love his 34¾-inch arms and alertness on stunts. And Lee Hunter is an incredible run defender, with 52 run stops over the past three seasons. The team has Derrick Brown, Tershawn Wharton and Bobby Brown III there, so D-coordinator Ejiro Evero has some depth at hand.

The Panthers checked a box in Round 3 with Chris Brazzell II, who will team with Tetairoa McMillan and Jalen Coker at receiver. Despite being 6-foot-4, he is explosive and ran a 4.37-second 40-yard dash at the combine. I would have liked to see a tight end, but Brazzell will contribute in similar ways in the red zone.

One of the players Carolina passed on in Round 1 was Dillon Thieneman, and the Panthers ended up with Zakee Wheatley at safety. The fifth-round pick will back up Nick Scott. He's a thumper with 163 tackles over the past two seasons. I also liked the Sam Hecht and Will Lee III picks as the Panthers rounded out a decent draft class.

GM Dan Morgan continues to fortify the roster of the 2025 NFC South champs, first-round OT Monroe Freeling (19th overall), second-round DL Lee Hunter (49th overall) and third-round WR Chris Brazzell II (83rd overall) all perhaps low-key bargains relative to their individual slotting. Brazzell's 6-foot-4 frame and sub-4.4 speed should be a dynamic element to this offense, even if he does nothing but run go routes as a rookie.

Best Pick: Fifth-round safety Zakee Wheatley was a ball hawk at Penn State who showed up a lot on tape. He isn't a big guy, but he will come up and tackle.

Worst Pick: I didn't love the choice of Monroe Freeling in the first round. I thought he was a late-first, early-second-round guy. They also don't really need him right now.

The Skinny: I didn't love Freeling in the first round, but second-round defensive tackle Lee Hunter is a quality player who will add a power presence inside. I also like fifth-round center Sam Hecht.

The unfortunate injury to Ikem Ekwonu in the playoffs this past winter made it critical that general manager Dan Morgan add a talented tackle early in this draft. Monroe Freeling started only one year at Georgia and therefore comes with inherent risk, but he has the traits to project as a future frontline NFL left tackle, so this selection makes a lot of sense.

I love the addition of burly defensive tackle Lee Hunter in the second round, as well as wideout Chris Brazzell II as a vertical threat in the third. My favorite of the Panthers' Day 3 selections was Kansas State's Sam Hecht, whose quickness, agility and clean technique could make him a future starter — perhaps as early as this year.br>This wasn't a flashy draft, but I thought it was a smart one with quality players added at positions of concern.

The Panthers had a pretty steady draft, but then found excellent value in rounds five and seven.

Freeling can be a long-term answer at left tackle, but I like that in this spot, he doesn't have to play right away if there are growing pains this summer. He was only a one-year starter at Georgia, but he ended the season on a very strong stretch of play. He has the athleticism to be a strong zone run game blocker, but there is still consistency in landing on targets to be ironed out.

Lee Hunter is the total opposite. He lacks the athleticism to offer true upside, but there are years of tape (at multiple programs) showing he is a space-eating, two-gapping run stopper. He did tap into some pass rush ability in his final college season, but that's not what he's being drafted for.

In talking to NFL teams, Brazzell was always going to fall further than where many media rankings (including mine) had him. His explosive speed, catch radius and reliable hands are easily worth taking a chance on in round three.

It's hard not to like both Sam Hecht and Zakee Wheatley as potential starters from day three. They played at a high level against good competition in college football. Hecht did his best work as a zone run game blocker, while Wheatley plays very in control, limiting ball carriers from explosive plays.

Kuwatch is an interesting seventh round pick. He ends up on the ground a lot against the run, but he's an agile athlete who plays without fear heading downhill. It's a nice bonus that he's contributed nearly 300 snaps on special teams the last two seasons combined.

I think this draft will be underappreciated because it's not flashy, but often times those are drafts we look back at in a positive way.

Here's why: The first selection is doing a lot for me with this grade. Monroe Freeling ended up as my OT1 and a top-10 player for me. He rapidly developed in his final season at Georgia and has Pro Bowl upside at left tackle because of his size, athleticism, and improved technique and strength. He not only fills a need with Ikem Ekwonu recovering from an injury, but could provide future flexibility for Ekwonu to move inside or to right tackle.

The Panthers went with defensive tackle Lee Hunter in the second round, adding an interior defender to hopefully complement Derrick Brown. I want Hunter to start using his size more, but he flashes disruption from the nose tackle spot. Chris Brazzell II is a tall, toolsy wide receiver who can take the top off the defense. He is still a developing player who lacks route-running polish in Tennessee's Ponzi scheme offense, but he had experience doing more at Tulane. He's an interesting dart throw for the Panthers to add deep speed to complement the burly wide receivers Carolina currently has in Tetairoa McMillan and Jalen Coker, all while not sacrificing the size they prefer.

The Panthers added more depth to their defensive back room in cornerback Will Lee III and safety Zakee Wheatley, with Wheatley having a chance to start early or get playing time in defensive back-heavy sub packages.

Most interesting pick: Sam Hecht, C, Kansas State

Luke Fortner is the Panthers' current starting center after signing a one-year deal this offseason and losing Cade Mays in free agency. Hecht not only provides depth, but a potential long-term, and maybe short-term, answer at the pivot spot. I like Hecht best in zone-running schemes where he can use his quickness, a different flavor than what the Panthers have trotted out recently. There was a run on centers at the end of Day 2 and into Day 3, so it was a good job by the Panthers to snatch up a potential starter in the fifth round.

The Panthers' draft wasn't sexy, but I was impressed with their haul. They played things patiently in the first round and landed an ultra athletic, high-upside left tackle in Georgia's Monroe Freeling, a pick that fills an underrated need for Carolina. Freeling needs to get stronger in the run game, but he gives the team a potential long-term answer on the blindside. In the second round, GM Dan Morgan opted to add some beef to the defensive line in the form of Texas Tech's Lee Hunter, a stout, powerful nose tackle prospect who clogs up the run game, holds his ground at the point of attack, and offers some upside to develop more in the pass rush area. Dropping him in next to Derrick Brown gives the team a formidable interior presence. The Panthers got excellent value in the third round as well in Tennessee receiver Chris Brazzell II, who needs to add branches to his route tree but brings springy athleticism and rare body control in a 6-foot-4, 198-pound frame. He can line up at the Z receiver spot and be a great complement to outside X receiver Tetairoa McMillan and slot man Jalen Coker. Fifth-rounders in center Sam Hecht and safety Zakee Wheatley could end up on the field sooner than later. Overall, the Panthers came away with three potential early-impact starters before adding some intriguing depth pieces on day three.

Analysis: The Panthers must have real concerns about left tackle Ikem Ekwonu missing a sizable portion of the season due to his ruptured patellar tendon sustained during the wild-card round. They already had an insurance plan with the signing of Rasheed Walker, yet the team felt the need to take Freeling to add another option at tackle. Perhaps, eventually, Freeling can replace veteran right tackle Taylor Moton. But Carolina missed an opportunity to select an immediate impact player. Again, the Panthers went for depth by selecting Hunter on Day 2 to join defensive tackles Derrick Brown and Tershawn Wharton.