CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- The 2026 NFL draft has begun in Pittsburgh. The three-day event continues with Rounds 4-7 on Saturday (noon ET).
The Carolina Panthers drafted Monroe Freeling with pick No. 19 in the first round.
A full list of the Panthers' selections is below and will be updated with pick-by-pick analysis through the weekend.
Analysis of every pick | Updated depth chart
Carolina Panthers 2026 draft picks
Round 1, No. 19 overall: Monroe Freeling, OT, Georgia
My take: The Panthers' offensive line had issues in 2025, ranking 23rd in pass block win rate, 28th in run block win rate, and 29th in pressure rate allowed. That made offensive line one of the Panthers' biggest need. Freeling, 21, isn't the most experienced player -- 18 starts -- but he was a second-team All-SEC selection and gave up only seven pressures at left tackle last season. Freeling (6-foot-7, 315 pounds) tested as one of the most physically gifted offensive linemen at the combine and has the prototypical size of an offensive tackle.
Key stat: Freeling was penalized only three times in 1,579 offensive snaps at Georgia: two were holds and one was a false start. That's the fewest penalties of any SEC offensive lineman with at least 1,500 offensive snaps since 2023, per ESPN Research. Most of those snaps came at left tackle (1,286) over the past two seasons.
When will he be expected to get regular playing time?: The Panthers signed Rasheed Walker to a one-year, $10 million deal in free agency, but Ikem Ekwonu suffered a torn patella tendon in the wild-card playoff loss to the Los Angeles Rams and is expected to miss the entire offseason and that's an injury that can take 6-12 months to recover from. So there is a good chance that Freeling can get on the field a lot as a rookie.
Round 2, No. 49 overall: Lee Hunter, NT, Texas Tech
Check out some of the top highlights from Texas Tech's Lee Hunter.
My take: A second-team All-American for the Red Raiders, Hunter offers the Panthers a big body to help with their run-stopping woes. Carolina was 25th in the NFL in rush defense EPA last season and Hunter specializes in that area. His 33.5 tackles for loss were the most in FBS among defensive tackles since 2023 as the Red Raiders had the best run defense in the nation, yielding only 2.2 yards per rush.
Will he start?: Hunter, the first Texas Tech player ever to be drafted by the Panthers, could have a chance to push for the starting nose tackle job right away. Bobby Brown III saw his snap count dwindle in the middle of last season before injuries granted him a larger role. He has two years remaining on the three-year deal he signed in 2025, but his guarantees end after the 2026 season, which should clear a path for Hunter to contribute quickly.
Round 3, No. 83 overall: Chris Brazzell II, WR, Tennessee
What Chris Brazzell II brings to the Panthers
My take: At 6-foot-4, 198 pounds with a 40-yard dash time of 4.37 seconds, Brazzell gives the Panthers a tall, speedy wideout to complement 2026 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Tetairoa McMillan, Jalen Coker, John Metchie III and Xavier Legette. Brazzell was a third-team All-American in 2025 for the Volunteers, leading the SEC with 84.8 receiving yards per game and scoring nine touchdowns. With McMillan emerging as the top option and Coker finishing last season on a positive note, there's a path for Brazzell to contribute right away if he can quickly adjust to larger doses of press man coverage.
More change coming at receiver?: Brazzell's arrival doesn't necessarily mean more changes are on the way for Carolina's receiver corps, but 2024 first-rounder Legette has yet to produce as expected and there has been outside speculation about his future in Charlotte. It's fair to wonder if the Panthers might see what they could get for him if they believe Brazzell can play right away or if he shows glimpses of being ready during OTAs.
What's next: The Panthers let the board fall to them through the first three rounds. Help at tight end and safety is still needed, but there was a big run at tight end on Day 2 and the top safeties have mostly gone off the board. Carolina has four picks remaining, one each in the fourth and fifth rounds plus two in Round 6 to continue addressing those and other needs.
Remaining picks
Round 4: No. 119
Round 5: No. 158
Round 6: No. 196
Round 6: No. 200