The Carolina Panthers have a major question mark at left tackle heading into the 2026 season, and general manager Dan Morgan expects the answer to come from an intense position battle this summer.

Starting left tackle Ickey Ekwonu, who had his fifth-year option picked up last year, suffered a torn patellar tendon in January's playoff loss to the Los Angeles Rams. He's expected to miss at least part of the upcoming season, leaving a critical void on the blindside.

To address the hole, the Panthers made two key additions this spring. In free agency, they signed former Green Bay Packers starter Rasheed Walker, a veteran with significant NFL experience. Then, in the first round of the draft, they selected Georgia tackle Monroe Freeling, who has already declared his intention to start as a rookie.

"In terms of Monroe (Freeling), he'll compete with Rasheed (Walker)," Morgan told NFL Network this week. "We were lucky to get him in free agency, another guy we think highly about, a veteran who's played a lot of games in this league. We feel like we have a lot of optionality there and looking forward to seeing those guys compete."

With quarterback Bryce Young standing just 5-foot-10, pass protection will be the deciding factor. Keeping the pocket clean is paramount, and the numbers from last season tell an interesting story. Walker earned a solid 70.0 grade from Pro Football Focus in pass blocking, ranking 42nd out of 89 offensive tackles. Freeling, meanwhile, posted an impressive 85.6 grade, good for 10th best among over 600 college tackles nationwide. Both struggled in run blocking, with Freeling at 61.3 and Walker at 55.4.

Even if Walker wins the starting job, Freeling could still see the field as a rookie. He has experience at right tackle from his time at Georgia, making him a natural backup if veteran Taylor Moton misses any time due to injury. Either way, the Panthers have built depth and competition at a position that will be crucial to their offensive success in 2026.