Winners and Losers From Carolina Panthers' Surprising Monroe Freeling Pick

The Panthers selected Monroe Freeling in the first round, but what does that mean for everyone else?

Georgia Bulldogs offensive lineman Monroe Freeling (57) blocks during the first half | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

Perhaps surprisingly, the Carolina Panthers drafted tackle Monroe Freeling in the first round of the NFL draft on Thursday. They seemed to be honed in on either a pass-catcher or a safety.

Makai Lemon, Omar Cooper Jr., KC Concepcion, Dillon Thieneman, and Emmanuel McNeil-Warren were all there. Instead, the Panthers threw a minor curveball and went into the trenches, which was always lurking as a possibility. Who are the winners and losers from the pick?

Winner: Bryce Young

Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young (9) reacts in the fourth quarter | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Protection is crucial for Bryce Young. Just look at the difference between 2023, when he had no blocking, and 2024, when the offensive line was better, into 2025. It matters, and giving him a future franchise left tackle is a pretty good thing.

Loser: Also Bryce Young

However, as of right now, the offensive line was in fine shape. He did well with Taylor Moton and Ikem Ekwonu in there, so swapping Ekwonu for Rasheed Walker would've been fine. Young still only has two viable pass-catchers, and Makai Lemon would've been a phenomenal pick.

Winner: Monroe Freeling

Monroe Freeling is a winner here. He's from South Carolina, so he's a hometown hero now. He also gets to either battle it out in camp, and iron sharpens iron, to start, or he gets to sit and learn behind two highly competent tackles, Taylor Moton and Rasheed Walker. It's a good place for him to be.

Loser: Brad Idzik

Having a reliable left tackle can help a new playcaller, but having Makai Lemon would've helped Brad Idzik make the transition easier. He has to figure out how to get two players, who the defense knows all about, the ball instead of three, at least until the Panthers (hopefully) draft a weapon for him and Young.

Winner: Dan Morgan

Dan Morgan wanted to go with the best player available, and he claimed after the draft that Monroe Freeling was his top target. Just like in 2025, he got the player he wanted despite plenty of action beforehand. That's a big win for a GM who's only running his third draft.

Losers: Rasheed Walker and Ikem Ekwonu

Carolina Panthers offensive tackle Ikem Ekwonu (79) during the third quarter | Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

With all due respect to Ikem Ekwonu and Rasheed Walker, they are both equal losers here. Ekwonu is likely not getting another contract, no matter what happens after his injury, which was already a brutal turn of events. Walker's not getting a second contract with Carolina, and he honestly might not even play much this year.