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 ******* iest 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 ******* ysis. 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
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 ******* ysis. 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
1 day ago
