Originally slated to select at No. 51, the Carolina Panthers traded up to No. 49 to draft defensive tackle Lee Hunter out of Texas Tech. Carolina received picks 49 and 196, while the Minnesota Vikings received picks 51 and 159. Hunter, at 6’4 and 300 lbs, racked up a number of second-team All-American honors along with a handful of first-team honors. He was named to the All Big 12 team and was on the watch lists for both the Bednarik Award and Bronko Nagurski Trophy.
The Mobile, Alabama native was a staple on one of the nation’s top defensive lines in his senior, helping to propel the Red Raiders to their first Big 12 title and a College Football Playoffs appearance. Starting all 14 games at nose guard, Hunter recorded 41 tackles (16 solo), including 10.5 for a loss and 2.5 sacks. He was part of a Texas Tech defense that led the Big 12 for scoring defense, rushing defense, and total defense -ranking in the top five nationally in all three categories.
Hunter played at UCF for the three seasons prior to arriving at Texas Tech. There, he was a two-time All-Big 12
honoree, earning second team accolades as a junior in 2024 as well as an honorable mention selection as a sophomore in
2023. As a Knight, he racked up 131 tackles (66 solo), 21.5 tackles for loss and 5.0
sacks over three seasons.
Nicknamed “The Fridge”, Hunter joins a defensive line room that includes Derrick Brown, Bobby Brown III, Tershawn Wharton, Cam Jackson, LaBryan Ray, and Jared Harrison-Hunte.
