Are the Panthers lacking confidence in their newly signed veteran tackle?
Wide receivers Makai Lemon , KC Concepcion , and Omar Cooper were on the board, as was defensive lineman Akheem Mesidor , and safety Dillon Thieneman .
Back in free agency, the Panthers signed former Green Bay Packer Rasheed Walker to a cheap, one-year, $4 million deal, a bargain for a guy who has started 48 games over the last three seasons and has been rock solid in pass protection. During that span, he's allowed just 14 sacks in 1,801 pass pro sets. Oct 19, 2025; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Green Bay Packers tackle Rasheed Walker against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium.
Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images Yes, there's really no other way to put it. Anytime you invest a first-round pick into somebody, you're going to want said player on the field. Ikem Ekwonu is on the shelf for the 2026 season, and that's largely the reason why Freeling was picked.
If they felt confident in Walker being a band-aid solution until Ekwonu returned, then you would have probably seen a receiver or Thieneman be the selection. This doesn't necessarily mean that Freeling will be starting over Walker in Week 1, but at some point, he will be.
Walker came to Carolina likely thinking that he had a year to prove himself to the organization that he can be the full-time starter at left tackle, or at the very least, be a guy who can challenge Ekwonu, who would be coming off a significant injury. Instead, he's got to worry about winning the job and holding onto it.
Mar 1, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Georgia offensive lineman Monroe Freeling during the NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images If all goes well and Ekwonu returns to his pre-injury form, he is their guy at left tackle. I know some believed he would be better suited at guard, and I was among those believers when he was drafted.
He's shown that he can handle the responsibility of protecting Bryce Young's blindside and should have the opportunity to regain that job when he's back to full strength. Freeling can flip over to right tackle and be the heir apparent to Taylor Moton, who is set to turn 32 this August and is only under contract through the 2027 season.
Freeling played exclusively left tackle in 2025 at Georgia, but he did log 286 snaps at right tackle during his time in Athens. Loading recommendations... Please wait while we load personalized content recommendationsSchuyler Callihan is the publisher of West Virginia On SI and has been a trusted source covering the Mountaineers since 2016. He is the host of Between The Eers, The Walk Thru Game Day Show, and In the Gun Podcast.
The Wheeling, WV native moved to Charlotte, North Carolina in 2020 to cover the Charlotte Hornets and Carolina Panthers.
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