Panthers sign six draft picks to rookie contracts ahead of weekend minicamp
The Carolina Panthers secured contracts for six of their seven draft picks Thursday ahead of the team’s annual rookie minicamp.
The team inked deals with first-round pick Monroe Freeling, third-round pick Chris Brazzell, fourth-round pick Will Lee, fifth-round picks Sam Hecht and Zakee Wheatley and seventh-round pick Jackson Kuwatch.
Freeling’s signing was first reported by The Charlotte Observer prior to a team announcement of all six deals. Second-round pick Lee Hunter was the lone draft pick not to be announced as a rookie signing by the team.
All six newly signed rookies will join the rest of their draft classmates on the field Friday and Saturday during the weekend camp.
Freeling, the 19th overall pick in April’s draft, signed a four-year deal with a fifth-year option, which is standard for first-round picks. The rest of the details of the deal were not immediately released.
Brazzell, Lee, Hecht, Wheatley and Kuwatch signed four-year deals, which are standard for draft picks selected after Day 1.
Panthers announce signing of 10 undrafted rookies
Along with the six draft picks signed to deals on Thursday, the Panthers also announced the signings of 10 undrafted rookies.
Quarterback Haynes King, defensive linemen Aaron Hall and Parker Peterson, cornerbacks Jaylon Guilbeau, DeVonta Smith and Cam Miller, wide receiver Kobe Prentice and offensive linemen Albert Reese and Isaia Glass all signed contracts ahead of Friday’s workout.
Coastal Carolina wideout Malick Meiga, who reached an agreement with the team following the draft, was not among the rookies who were announced to have signed deals. According to the team website, Meiga is expected to sign a deal next week. However, the team would need to make a roster move to make room for him on the 90-man depth chart.
Panthers release linebacker ahead of rookie camp
The Panthers were forced to a do a bit of housekeeping before the rookie minicamp.
The two-day event is expected to feature the team’s seven draft picks and at least 10 undrafted free agents. Those 17 rookies were added to the roster following one reduction Thursday.
The team cut veteran inside linebacker Jacoby Windmon on Thursday, a league source confirmed to The Charlotte Observer. Windmon’s release helped onboard the rookie class.
Windmon was signed to a reserve/future deal after spending a chunk of last season on the practice squad. Windmon bounced on and off the Carolina roster over the past two seasons, appearing in nine games (two starts) while producing 22 tackles, 1.5 sacks and two pass breakups.
With Windmon off the roster, the Panthers’ inside linebacker depth chart features free-agent addition Devin Lloyd, Trevin Wallace, Claudin Cherelus, Bam Martin-Scott, Maema Njongmeta, Jared Bartlett and seventh-round pick Jackson Kutwatch.
Maz Mwansa received team’s NFL International Player Program’s exemption Wednesday. The British-born linebacker spent all of last season on the practice squad as an IPP exemption.
Mwansa will not count against the roster this offseason, and he will not count against the practice squad if he ultimately ends up on the secondary roster following the cut-down deadline.
This story was originally published May 7, 2026 at 10:40 AM with the headline "Panthers sign six draft picks to rookie contracts ahead of weekend minicamp."
