UGA Football OL Monroe Freeling Drafted No. 19 Overall by Panthers in the 2026 NFL Draft

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Former Georgia Bulldog offensive lineman Monroe Freeling was selected No. 19 overall in the 2026 NFL Draft by the Carolina Panthers.

The Dawgs have produced yet another first-round offensive tackle. Freeling will head to Charlotte to protect quarterback Bryce Young.

Freeling was one of Georgia’s highest-rated recruits in the 2023 recruiting class and he got playing time as a true freshman that season. He was in the rotation early for the Dawgs and was the player that Kirby Smart turned to late in the 2023 season when other tackles dealt with injuries. 

Standing at 6’7” and over 300 pounds, Freeling possesses prototypical size for an NFL tackle. In what is considered to be a solid tackle class towards the top, many view Freeling as the strongest candidate to play on the left side early in his career. 

In 2023, Freeling was part of an offensive line that was seen as the best in the SEC. In 2024 and 2025, he was a contributor to the back-to-back SEC Champions. 

Georgia’s offensive line, and offense in general, struggled in 2024. That was turned around this past season, and Freeling was a big part of that. The Dawgs increased their rushing total by around 65 yards per-game last year en route to rushing for over 2,500 yards on the season. 

Freeling’s draft stock continued to rise during the 2025 season. There was a question early on whether he was going to be a three-and-out, blue chip tackle prospect like Amarius Mims was before him. As the season went on and he repeatedly put on good reps on tape, his stock began to soar, and that has come to fruition with him being a first round pick. 

Freeling will compete for a starting job immediately, as first round tackles are rarely stashed for development.