The Carolina Panthers got a rude awakening on Wednesday when they shared a joint practice with the Houston Texans, owners of the league's most disruptive defensive line and the NFL's second-stingiest scoring defense in 2025. Reports from the session all indicate that it was a brutal day for quarterback Bryce Young and the rest of Carolina's offense—with rookie right tackle Monroe Freeling, in particular, struggling against the brutal pass rush.
Well, the good news is the Panthers have at least one rookie right tackle who's definitely shining this summer. Through Week 2 of the preseason, the undrafted Albert Reese is the 11th-highest graded rookie by Pro Football Focus. Analyst Gordon McGuinness writes:
Reese has played 140 snaps so far this preseason,
all at right tackle, with the Mississippi State undrafted free agent registering a 92.6 PFF run-blocking grade that leads all offensive lineman. He has also been solid in pass protection, giving up just two hurries from 104 pass-blocking snaps.
Reese's performance is a pleasant surprise. However, there are always rookies who thrive during the preseason only to crash and burn once the real games begin in September—if they ever get off the sideline to begin with.
Right now, that's the real problem for Reese. The Panthers invested a first-round draft pick in Freeling, and he's going to be starting at right tackle while Taylor Moton is out. Freeling should expect to continue to have some welcome-to-the-NFL moments, but he's going to stay on the field to develop.
Unless Freeling gets injured, there's just no way that Reese will break into the starting lineup in 2026.
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This article originally appeared on Panthers Wire: Panthers lineman among PFF's highest-graded rookies of the preseason
