Panthers Snag Beast Lee Hunter

0:00It's April 25th. You're listening to NFL News today, AI-powered NFL coverage. Carolina Panthers just snagged a beast on day two of the draft, picking defensive tackle Lee Hunter from Texas Tech at the 51st spot. This six-foot-three-and-a-half-inch, 318-pound monster rocks, a six-foot-nine-wingspan that makes him a nightmare uprun. Over his college career, he piled up tackles for loss and sacks, peaking last year with first-team all-American honors after 41 tackles, 10, and a half tackles for loss, and two-and-a-half sacks and 14 starts. Hunter's game exploded from his early days, going from single-digit tackles in 2022 to dominating the Big 12 by his senior year. He earned second-team nods before that top-tier recognition, showing steady growth in a gritty conference. Panthers fans see this as a plug-and-play guy to beef up the interior line right away. They call him the fridge, because his coach said opponents got to go through him to eat, and dude plays

1:01even bigger than his size. He's got a lead length to disrupt plays, slick footwork to dodge blockers, and a bull rush that shoves pockets back. Upper body power lets him toss lime in a side, perfect for two gapping in any front. That said, he's not perfect, relies mostly on power without a real finesse pass rush move, lack snap explosion, and can get stuck when doubled up. At the combine, he ran a 5.1A40-yard dash with a 1.7 910-yard split, but skipped some agility drills and bench. Work. Panthers get an instant upgrade in the trenches with Hunter's size and instincts, setting up a nasty rotation that could clog lanes all season. Keep an eye on how he bokes the D-line early.