Panthers Trade Up for Lee Hunter, Boosting D-Line

0:00On April 25th, the Carolina Panthers wasted no time in the second round of the 2026 NFL draft, trading their 51st and 100. 59th picks to the Minnesota Vikings for the 49th and 196th to snag Texas Tech defensive tackle, Lee Hunter. Morgan, the Panthers GM, called this draft class top heavy a defensive tackle and jumped up after two others went early, aiming to beef up the trenches right after their first pick there. Fans and analysts see Hunter as a massive force at 6'4", 318 pounds, with a crazy 6'9 wingspan that lets him. Disrupt from the interior, pairing perfectly next to Derek Brown for that strong push-up front. He's got quickness in tight spaces and flashes as a pass rusher, though he needs to build stamina, speed, and more moves to stick as a 3-tech. Early on, he might slide to nose tackle roll. This adds serious heat to Carolina's D-line, with Jalen Phillips, Nick Scorden, and others, giving coordinator Egero Everow the tools to wreck.

1:03Lockets smart move up the board for long-term dominance.