How many games will each Panthers draft pick start? Plus Sam Hecht joins the show
Will Monroe Freeling be a Week 1 starter for the Carolina Panthers?
What about Lee Hunter?
And if there was a Day 3 player who could surprise as a rookie with early playing time, who might that be?
Mike Kaye and Alex Zietlow answer these questions and much more in the latest podcast episode of Processing Blue, an award-winning show that breaks down everything going on in the world of the Carolina Panthers.
This episode deals pretty much exclusively with the team’s incoming rookie class. That’s all the draft picks — OT Monroe Freeling in Round 1; DT Lee Hunter in Round 2; WR Chris Brazzell in Round 3; CB Will Lee in Round 4; C Sam Hecht and S Zakee Wheatley in Round 5; and then ILB Jackson Kuwatch in Round 7 — as well as some undrafted free agents the Panthers added, too.
The two also interview center Sam Hecht, and the fifth-round draft pick discusses his journey as a walk-on at Kansas State to a highly rated prospect.
Listen to the latest podcast episode at the embed in this story, or download it on Spotify, Apple Music or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also check out the show on YouTube.
This story was originally published April 29, 2026 at 6:00 AM with the headline "How many games will each Panthers draft pick start? Plus Sam Hecht joins the show."
