Panthers feared this team would draft OT Monroe Freeling ahead of them

The Carolina Panthers knew that offensive tackle Monroe Freeling would be too big to overlook, and not just for them.

Darin Gantt of Panthers.com, as he does every spring, dished out his deep dive into the team's journey through the NFL draft. His inside look into the war room documented the moments leading up to Carolina's first-round selection in Freeling, whom they gleefully grabbed at the 19th overall pick.

As Gantt notes, general manager Dan Morgan and the rest of the braintrust were worried that the 6-foot-7, 315-pound hog molly wouldn't slip past the Detroit Lions—who were also eyeing the tackle position—at No. 17. Detroit, however, opted for Clemson's Blake Miller.

Gantt writes:

Morgan was convinced that it was going to be Freeling, for the same reason he liked him — because big, young, athletic left tackle prospects like this are rare this time of year. But Detroit's plan was to move [Penei] Sewell to left, making Miller and his 54 career starts at right tackle a natural fit for them.

"I thought they were going to take him (Freeling), but I also understand why they took the guy they took too (Miller)," Morgan said of the Lions. "Because he's a true right tackle and started a ton of games at right tackle, and they're moving their guy to left tackle.

"So when they picked Miller, I wasn't surprised. But yeah, I was glad they did it."

With the three-team first-team All-Pro in Sewell moving to the blindside, the Lions targeted Miller—who recorded 2,640 of his 2,764 collegiate snaps from the right. Freeling, on the other hand, was largely considered the top true left tackle prospect in the class.