'If he went back… he’s a top 10 pick next year' — Dane Brugler identifies ascending NFL Draft prospect who is unique to this 2026 draft class
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At the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine, I had the pleasure of speaking with some of the best NFL Draft analysts in the industry during the week. That includes Dane Brugler from The Athletic, largely considered one of the top evaluators in the business.
During his conversation with Best Pod Available, Brugler spoke about a player he is higher on than the consensus, and a player he is lower on, among several other topics. When it comes to the former, Brugler discussed a talented 2026 NFL Draft prospect that he felt like he was pretty early one, and now stands to go very early this April.
That player is former Georgia offensive tackle Monroe Freeling, a former top recruit who finally started to put it all together down the course of the season for the Bulldogs. The 6-7, 315-pound blindside protector is pretty firmly considered a first round prospect for this upcoming draft. After a strong showing in Indianapolis, it feels like Freeling could also have a shot to be the first offensive tackle off of the board.
Brugler discussed Freeling in-depth, including his rise as a player. Here is what he told A to Z Sports.
Brugler on Monroe Freeling
“Monroe Freeling, Georgia left tackle,” Brugler told A to Z Sports. “I threw him in my mock draft, my first mock draft. I do it right after Thanksgiving and I threw him in there and I got a lot of pushback. I got a lot of pushback and I wasn’t even feeling great about it at the time because he was he was an ascending guy.
“And so I was like, you know what? Left tackle skill set. Look at the top guys in this draft. I’m talking about right tackles and some teams like (Francis) Mauigoa at guard. And so a player with a true left tackle skill set that’s going to go, especially when you’re a top recruit, you’re a good athlete.
“I think if he went back to Georgia, we’re talking about him as a top 10 pick in next year’s draft. So just being a little bit early for teams on him, I think that makes a lot of sense.”
Monroe Freeling’s career background
Coming out of the 2023 class, Freeling was considered to be a four-star and a top-100 player according to each of the major recruiting platforms. On the 247 Sports Composite ranking, the talented offensive tackle prospect ended up rated as the No. 35 overall player, the No. 5 offensive tackle, and the No. 1 player in the state of South Carolina.
It was considered a massive recruiting win when Georgia was able to land Freeling. The Bulldogs won out over offers from Alabama, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oregon, Michigan, LSU, Penn State, Tennessee, Texas A&M, Florida, Miami, Clemson, Florida State, Auburn, Vanderbilt, Kentucky, South Carolina, UNC, Arkansas, Arizona State, Virginia, Stanford, and Duke, among others.
After serving as a backup as a freshman in 2023, Freeling earned some starting opportunities as a sophomore, starting in four games. As a junior this past season, Freeling became a full-time starter at left tackle for the Bulldogs. He appeared in 13 games during that season, and starting in 12. Freeling managed to earn All-SEC Second Team from the league’s coaches.
This story was originally published by A to Z Sports on Mar 4, 2026, where it first appeared in the NFL Draft section. Add A to Z Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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