The Carolina Panthers have seen some big changes along the offensive line this offseason.
Starting left tackle Ikem Ekwonu suffered an injury in the team’s playoff game and is going to miss the first part of the 2026 season. Then, right tackle Taylor Moton was diagnosed with blood clots this summer, and he is also out for the foreseeable future.
Former starting center Cade Mays left in free agency as well, so the Panthers are looking at three new starters to begin the season. Monroe Freeling was selected in the first round of the 2026 draft, and he’s going to man the right side, while veteran free agents Rasheed Walker and Luke Fortner start at left tackle and center, respectively.
However, even more changes could be coming to the line next offseason. The 2027 draft is expected to be loaded with talented prospects, and the Panthers could end up taking a tackle early once again.
Panthers Predicted to Draft Jordan Seaton in 2027
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Luke Easterling of Athlon Sports recently published an updated 2027 mock. In this edition, Easterling has the Panthers selecting LSU tackle Jordan Seaton with the No. 14 pick.
Seaton is preparing for his first season at LSU after spending his first two years of college at Colorado. The massive tackle is considered by most to be one of the top tackle prospects in this class.
“The Panthers just spent a first-round pick on Monroe Freeling, but with Taylor Moton getting older and Ikem Ekwonu better off sliding inside to guard, they could make another long-term investment in the offensive tackle position next offseason,” Easterling said. “One of the nation’s top recruits coming out of high school, Seaton is still more projection than proven product, but transferring from Colorado to LSU should give him a ton of opportunities to sharpen his skills before making the jump to the NFL.”
As Easterling mentioned, the Panthers could easily still draft a tackle despite taking Freeling this year. Moton is getting older and as Easterling mentioned, some evaluators feel like Ekwonu would benefit from moving to guard anyway.
Seaton played and started in all 13 games for Colorado as a true freshman in 2024. The lineman earned the highest pass blocking grade from Pro Football Focus out of all true freshmen.
Seaton then played in nine games for Colorado in 2025 and earned All-Big 12 Second-team honors after the season. The former top recruit is looking to take another step forward in 2026 as he joins Lane Kiffin at LSU.
