Built like a Tank with cleats, Hunter carries 325 pounds on a big, powerful frame with a reported 6-foot-9 wingspan. I do not believe his testing numbers will wow scouts, but his tape tells a much clearer story. A player who is a trench enforcer who wins with leverage, length, and raw power.
College: Texas Tech
Jersey: #2
Sub-Position: 3-Tech / 1-Tech
Draft Year: 2026
Projection: 2nd Round (Late)
Measurables & Testing
Height: 6’3”
Weight: 325 lbs
Arm Length: 34 2/8”
Hands: 9” (13%)
40-Yard Dash: 5.20
Background & College Career
Lee Hunter’s football journey has been defined by production and perseverance. A dominant two-way lineman at Blount High School (AL), Hunter earned Alabama Class 6A Lineman of the Year honors after stacking 43 career tackles for loss across his final two seasons. A consensus four-star recruit, he initially signed with Auburn before following Gus Malzahn to UCF.
After a developmental 2022 campaign, Hunter exploded in 2023, starting all 13 games and recording 69 tackles and 11 TFLs, leading all College defensive tackles in total tackles. Over his final two seasons at UCF, he posted 58 run-defense stops, the most among interior defenders nationally.
He transferred to Texas Tech for his senior season in 2025 and anchored the nation’s top-ranked rushing defense (68.5 yards per game). He finished with 34 tackles, 8.5 TFLs, and 2.5 sacks, earning All-America honors and a Senior Bowl invitation. Through 51 career games and 1,824 snaps, Hunter proved he can handle Power Four competition at a high level.
Scouting Report
Strengths
Elite Run Defender: Hunter’s tape is clinic-level when it comes to gap discipline. He stacks, locks out, and controls blockers with heavy hands.
Anchor & Power: Absorbs double teams and maintains leverage, rarely moved off his spot when fresh.
Wingspan & Frame: Long arms allow him to control centers and guards before they can reset their base.
Bull Rush Pocket Push: Can collapse the interior pocket with straight-line power.
Experience: Three full seasons of high-level production across multiple Power Four programs.
Hunter does the dirty work that makes defenses function. Linebackers love playing behind him.
Weaknesses
Limited Pass Rush Arsenal: Primarily a bull rusher. Lacks counters and refined hand swipes.
Conditioning Concerns: Pad level rises late in drives. Snap management will be important early in his NFL career.
Athletic Ceiling: 5.20 speed shows up on tape — limited lateral agility and pursuit range.
Scheme Dependent: Best in two-gapping or early-down roles; unlikely to be a high-volume third-down interior rusher.
Scheme Fit & NFL Projection
Hunter projects best as a 1-technique or nose tackle in a four-man front or as a true nose in a 3-4 scheme. He is an early-down anchor who eats blocks and controls A-gaps. His immediate value comes in run-heavy divisions and defensive systems that emphasize physicality up front. 3 tech could be in his future, but his speed and shuttle time will keep scouts from viewing him as such.
He won’t be an every-down disruptor early in his career, but in the right system, he can become a reliable rotational starter who earns 15–25 snaps per game and tilts the math in the run game.
Team Fits
Las Vegas Raiders
With the Raiders transitioning to a 3-4 defense, Hunter makes tremendous sense as a true nose tackle. He has the size and power to anchor the middle and allow edge rushers to operate with cleaner one-on-one opportunities. If Las Vegas prioritizes trench toughness early in Round 2, Hunter could be firmly in play as an immediate scheme fit in their new-look front.
Philadelphia Eagles
The Eagles consistently invest in the defensive line, valuing depth and physical dominance in the trenches. Hunter would thrive in a specialized early-down role within their rotation, allowing their interior playmakers to attack while he controls gaps and absorbs double teams. Philadelphia prioritizes culture and competitiveness, both of which Hunter checks.
Green Bay Packers
The Packers have a massive, long-term need at defensive tackle, and analysts widely expect them to address the interior defensive line in the draft. Lee Hunter projects as an immediate contributor who can step in and stabilize early-down run defense. His ability to two-gap, anchor against double teams, and control interior rushing lanes would give Green Bay a physical presence it’s been missing inside.
The Last Word on Lee Hunter
Lee Hunter isn’t flashy — and that’s exactly why he’ll carve out a role in the NFL. He is a tone-setting, gap-owning defensive tackle who specializes in controlling the line of scrimmage and forcing offenses to adjust their run plans. His game mirrors players like Jerrod Clark from Coastal Carolina, a powerful interior presence whose value comes from anchoring, absorbing double teams, and keeping linebackers clean.
In a league that prioritizes interior pass rush, Hunter brings old-school trench value: power, leverage, and discipline in the A-gaps. His ceiling may not be that of a perennial Pro Bowler, but his floor is sturdy and dependable. In the right scheme, particularly with teams like the Raiders transitioning to a 3-4, the Eagles continuing to build through the trenches, or the Packers addressing their long-term need at defensive tackle, Hunter can contribute immediately on early downs while developing his pass-rush counters. If his conditioning improves and his technique sharpens, he has the tools to outperform a late second-round projection.
Lee Hunter won’t dominate headlines on draft night, but he might quietly become one of the most important pieces in a defense that wins in January.
Main Photo: [Nathan Giese/Avalanche-Journal] – Imagn Images