Monroe
Freeling.
Monroe
Freeling.
Georgia· 6'7"· 315 lb· 4.93s 40
"Franchise left-tackle projection with rare pull-and-run movement for the frame — a 4.93 forty and unofficial 9.99 RAS turned a solid three-year Georgia starter into the consensus OT1 of the 2026 board."Pre-draft read
Monroe Freeling, a career left tackle, displays technician-level pass sets and vision. His smooth kick-slide and patient hand usage allow him to wait for the rusher's commitment before delivering a punch. He then locks the outside shoulder with a long-arm strike, adeptly resetting the arc.
Freeling exhibits rare reactive athleticism, redirecting on inside counters with his feet mirroring swim techniques, avoiding premature hip opening. Though not a road-grading run blocker, he excels with angles over displacement and is a legitimate puller, reaching the second level on toss plays and climbing to linebackers in space. His grip strength is evident in recovery, staying attached after missed initial punches. Freeling's ceiling trait is his footwork and body control on an extra-long frame.
The Carolina Panthers will operate a wide-zone and pure outside-zone run game, building on concepts from the Shanahan school of offense, emphasizing speed and angles over brute force, with a high volume of play action.
Immediate plug-and-play left tackle from Day 1, projecting as a long-term franchise cornerstone who excels in pass protection and zone running schemes.
A gap/duo power run system that demands a dominant run-blocking mauler at the point of attack for consistent short-yardage and goal-line push.
Freeling's elite athleticism and technical pass-blocking prowess are a perfect match for a wide-zone offense, although his anchor against power rushers will dictate his ultimate ceiling.
Monroe Freeling Has FRANCHISE Left Tackle Traits | Georgia OT Film Study
17-minute film study on Freeling's 2025 Georgia tape, focused on pass-set mechanics and franchise-tackle projection.
Georgia OT Monroe Freeling 2026 NFL Draft Highlights
Short cutup of Freeling's best college reps ahead of the 2026 NFL Draft.
Panthers rookie Monroe Freeling speaks after first NFL practice
Post-practice press availability from Freeling's first OTA session with the Carolina Panthers.
Monroe Freeling projects as a tackle-only prospect, acquired by a team looking for a plug-and-play left tackle for the next decade. His evaluation hinges on the rare combination of movement skills in a large frame, making him ideally suited for a scheme prioritizing athletic offensive linemen. His 4.93 forty time at 6-7⅜, 315 pounds highlights this unique physical profile.
Freeling arrived at Georgia as a five-star recruit and quickly integrated into the rotation as a true freshman. He became the starting left tackle for his sophomore and junior seasons, accumulating 13 starts at the position. His film from matchups against Alabama and Texas in his junior year significantly elevated his draft stock, and his combine performance solidified his position as a top prospect, despite skipping some drills.
Concerns among evaluators centered on his anchor against elite bull-rushers and his run-blocking finish, particularly in short-yardage situations. Consensus viewed him as the top offensive tackle in his class, with minimal board tension by draft night, leading to his selection at 19 overall as a clear tackle-only fit.
- 01
Rare movement skills, size
Freeling displays rare movement skills for his size, with a 4.93 forty at 6-7⅜, 315 pounds, yielding a 9.99 unofficial RAS, fitting athletic schemes.
- 02
Franchise left tackle pedigree
He has franchise left tackle pedigree with two years as starter at Georgia, including reps against top SEC edge rushers during playoff runs.
- 03
Advanced kick slide technique
Freeling exhibits advanced kick-slide technique; smooth off the ball with patient hands and reactive redirection on inside counters for any scheme.
- 04
Effective puller, climber
He is an effective puller and second-level climber, capable of reaching linebackers in space, making him a natural fit for zone offenses.
- 05
Strong recovery grip
Freeling demonstrates strong recovery grip, enabling him to stay attached to blocks even after initially missing a punch and to salvage the rep.
- 01
Anchor concerns
Anchor concerns arise when Freeling's frame narrows under sustained bull rushes; his base can be walked back when he fails to reset his feet.
- 02
Run-blocking finish
His run-blocking finish relies on angles rather than pure displacement, indicating he is not a mauler at the point of attack for short-yardage.
- 03
Missing combine drills
Freeling skipped the bench press, three-cone, and shuttle drills, leaving his change-of-direction and upper-body strength without confirmed numbers.
- 04
Limited tape evaluation time
The rapid rise in his stock meant evaluators had less time with his best tape during his junior year compared to other prospects.
Relative Athletic Score (Kent Lee Platte) benchmarks combine/pro-day numbers against every measured prospect at the position since 1987. 10.00 is elite; 5.00 is average.
— — — positional median (p50)
- 40 yd
- 4.93sp50
- Vertical
- 33.5inp50
- Broad jump
- 115inp50
- Three-cone
- —s
- Shuttle
- —s
- Bench
- —rep
| Yr | Team | G |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Georgia | 9 |
| 2024 | Georgia | 14 |
| 2025 | Georgia | 14 |
| Career | — | 37 |
Merged from verified season/game stat tables; Sports-Reference remains the preferred source when reachable.
A dash means the figure is not published by a source we trust — never a zero we invented.
Long-armed, athletic left tackle with a decade of quality but non-elite play — 78-84 PFF grades and a clean pass-set style that rarely dips.
Movement LT who lives on Pro Bowl ballots — the ceiling if the anchor firms up and the finish in the run game arrives with NFL strength gains.
Length without anchor scenario — a tall LT prospect who never firmed the base against NFL bull rushers and eventually kicked inside.
Everything above is the pre-draft evaluation. This section is what actually happened — updated year over year.
PRE-DRAFT CONTEXT — Freeling came to Georgia as the top-ranked recruit in South Carolina and left three years later as the tackle who reshaped the top of the 2026 board. The 2024 season established the floor: 13 starts at left tackle protecting Carson Beck, one hurry allowed against Missouri's edge duo, clean tape against Kentucky and Ole Miss. The 2025 junior year was the growth year — start-to-finish assignments against Alabama's Keldric Faulk and Texas's Colin Simmons that scouts kept re-watching. Indianapolis then turned buzz into consensus: Kent Lee Platte tweeted an unofficial 9.99 RAS out of 10, second among 1,512 offensive tackles measured since 1987, on a 4.93 forty and a 33½-inch vertical at 315 pounds. He passed on bench, three-cone and shuttle, and no evaluator held that against him.
NFL FIT — CAROLINA PANTHERS. Carolina landed Freeling at 19 as the long-term answer opposite Ickey Ekwonu, with GM Dan Morgan publicly framing training camp as a competition between Freeling and veteran Rasheed Walker for the Week 1 left-tackle job. Bryce Young's clean-pocket schedule for 2026 depends on how quickly the rookie takes over. The base offense under second-year OC Brad Idzik runs outside-zone and wide-zone concepts that fit Freeling's puller/climber profile perfectly, and Ekwonu's presence at LT allows a soft-landing at right tackle if the anchor concerns show up early. Camp reports through spring OTAs had him working exclusively at LT with the second unit and getting first-team snaps late.
RETROSPECTIVE — This is a projection pick evaluated on decade-long returns, not rookie-year snaps. If the frame anchors and the run-blocking finish comes with an NFL strength program, the comp file is Trent Williams — a movement LT who lives on Pro Bowl ballots. If the base never firms and interior linemen keep collapsing the pocket, the fallback is Kolton Miller: a productive, long-armed LT who cycles between 78-84 PFF grades but never becomes elite. The bust scenario is Ereck Flowers — length without anchor, kicked inside by year three. Carolina drafted at 19 for the ceiling, banking the athletic profile does not lie twice.
Data note: Merged from verified season/game stat tables; Sports-Reference remains the preferred source when reachable.