Lee Hunter: Broncos' Nose Tackle Upside

0:00On April 3, Texas Tech knows Tackle, Lee Hunter is turning heads as a draft prospect who could fit right into the Denver Broncos' defensive line. This 6-foot-5-300-plus-pounder transferred from Auburn to UCF before dominating at Texas Tech last season. In 523 snaps, he racked of 26 pressures, 5-sacks, and 25 stops, with top 15% rates in BeeGab. Pressures and tackles for loss. Earlier this year, Hunter showed out with over 1,300 snaps at UCF, making plays against the run and in pass rush. His move to Texas Tech elevated everything, turning him into a gap-plugging machine who uses his massive 6-foot-9 wingspan to control blockers. Without budging, fans and scouts love how Hunter anchors at the point of attack, splits double teams, and flashes surprising snap quickness for his size. He tosses blockers with a brutal bull rush and works laterally better than most big men, creating space for teammates even if his stats don't always.

1:02Screamin'. That said, Hunter leans too far forward, opening himself to counters and relies mostly on power over refined technique. He carries some bad weight that hurts balance and lacks moves beyond the bull rush, so he might come off in obvious passing downs. Still, for a nose tackle, that's workable. Broncos' brass have DJ, Jones and Malcolm Roach locked in short-term, but Hunter could slide in as a rookie two-gather and develop into their main run-stuffer by 20. 27. With his traits, he's got real upside to anchor that front for years.