ESPN report reveals Panthers were eyeing these 2 prospects on Day 1 of the 2026 draft
According to ESPN, the Panthers were "tackle or bust" on Day 1 of the draft—with these two hog mollies also garnering interest from the team . . .
Monroe Freeling wasn't the only hog molly the Carolina Panthers had their eyes on last week. ESPN senior NFL reporter Jeremy Fowler emptied some of his news and notes from the 2026 NFL Draft on Thursday morning. In regards to the NFC South champions, Fowler wrote that the Panthers were "tackle or bust" on Day 1 of the selection process, and threw out a pair of other options had Freeling not been their first-round pick : Carolina was high on [Kadyn] Proctor.
If he somehow slipped to 19, he was a viable option for the Panthers. But eventual pick Monroe Freeling (Georgia) was highly regarded, and Utah's Caleb Lomu was on the Panthers' short list, too. Proctor was selected 12th overall by the Miami Dolphins , seven spots before Carolina's pick at No.
19. Lomu would come off the board a bit later in the round, as he was taken at the 28th spot by the New England Patriots. As for who the Panthers did end up with, Freeling was viewed by many as the class' top true left tackle prospect.
He could challenge free-agent addition Rasheed Walker for the job on the blindside, with usual starter Ikem Ekwonu recovering from a torn patellar tendon . Follow @ThePanthersWire on Twitter/X for more Panthers content. This article originally appeared on Panthers Wire: 2026 NFL Draft: Panthers reportedly had interest in Proctor, Lomu